Resonance Drive
by Shadow Strabi-star22
Summary: There is more than just the Armed virus that everyone has been talking about. The turmoil from long ago unearthed a young girl that has been asleep for over centuries sealed within crystal. Frightened that she will bring about total destruction one day, the government has sent her to a secluded island. Befriending an unusual bunch of girls, they work together to uncover the truth.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** : Loving the new anime called Valkyrie Drive; it's almost like a combination of Soul Eater Not and Vividred Operation with a sprinkle of Senran Kagura on top. So without further ado, _Resonance Drive_ is about to begin!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Valkyrie Drive belongs to the rightful owner.

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

I am not as I once was. For I am now considered a carrier for a mysterious virus, a virus much different from the Armed virus that has been all over the news. Never did I realize that my life would change as drastically because of some fantasy. The world moved in a blur and I was shoved into what looked like a black coffin by men in strange suits. The air was suffocating and I felt my chest squeezed by an unforeseen force but no matter how much I scream and pleaded for them to release me, it only fell upon deaf ears. As I was being taken away, I could see through the dark stain glass the hostile and fearful expressions of my use to be friends and neighbors. What was worse my parents were also among them, their faces grim or emotionless. That was the first time I have witnessed them like that. My once loving parents were looking at me without any love or compassion and it tore my heart in two.

My mother only allowed a single tear, a silver lining, to fall from her eyes before following my father who already turned his back to me. They soon disappeared into the crowds to avoid the scornful looks of others, their skin prickling with humiliation and shame that I had brought upon them.

"Never knew she could be the one."

"How scary."

"I always had a hunch about that child, she's been nothing but trouble."

"Thank goodness they're sending her away, the community would have been ruined because of her."

"If my child ended up playing with her, who knows what would have happened."

 _No...they're wrong._ I could feel tears falling from my own eyes as they continued to look at me like I was some monster, my fingers curled into trembling fists as I continued to pound and scratch against the container. _I'm not a monster. They're wrong. Why? Why is this happening to me? What did I do...to deserve this? Someone! Anyone! Please help me!_

"The specimen is too noisy." A voice spoke. "We need her to be absolutely quiet during the transition. Unleash the sleeping gas."

 _Wh-What..!? What's happening?_ I freaked out when I noticed clouds of light yellow particles entering the space. I tried to cover up my nose the best I could but because the enclosed space was a bit small I couldn't do much with my arms. Soon I felt my eyelids droop and I finally fell asleep, the voices from beyond the black casket disappeared into darkness.

* * *

 _Unknown place..._

When I opened my eyes I realized that I ended up in a tree...a palm tree to be precise and a tall one to boot. The sun shined brightly over my head as the smell of an ocean went up my nostrils. Deciding to check out what happened, I carefully moved my limbs one by one down the tree. However since I was still disoriented from my crash landing I lost my grip and fell the rest of the way.

"Ooomphf!" I grunted upon impact and rubbed my head with a groan. "Owww...my head...what the..." I gently squeezed with my right hand to feel a mass of softness between my fingers. "What's this soft...mound I'm squeezing..."

"Ahem. Get off."A sleepy monotonous voice reached my ear and I looked down to see what or perhaps who I landed on. This girl had very long vibrant red hair the reaches down to her waist and bangs that barely overlap her silver eyes, as well as a semi-straight ahoge. She also had on a simple tank-top, jeans and running shoes. A plaid jacket was tied around her waist and there was a sleeping-mask on her head like a pair of sunglasses.

"Uh...sorry!" I apologized and scrambled off, staring at my right hand with a huge blush on my face. I can't believe I just groped her there! The girl huffed and lowered her mask, proceeding to dose off without another word.

 _By the feel, she must be a DD cup...damn it, don't go there! Don't go there!_ "A-Anyways! I gotta go! Bye!" I sprinted away, not bothering to notice that she was actually looking after my retreating form from underneath her sleep mask.

"Auuugh...where am I exactly?" I frantically looked around but there was only water, water as far as the eye could see. After coming to a stop on the sandy beach, I figured out where that ocean smell came from. "An island perhaps? Or a hologram..." Slapping my cheeks to make sure I wasn't dreaming, I walked towards the edge of the water and stuck my face underneath the surface. The calmness of the tides rocked back and forth soothingly over my skin.

Resurfacing and deducing the option that I was indeed, living and on a giant island, I took a step back to look at my reflection. I was still wearing the same set of clothing on the day I was taken: a black and gold Chinese cheongsam blouse and gray knee-length trousers. My shoulder-length silver hair was sticking out all over the place which complements my slightly tanned skin and olive green eyes.

"I have to find a way off this island." Nodding my head with determination, I started to wander off in another direction without thought and trekked through the forest, taking advantageous of the shade provided by large trees.

"Unregistered entity is on the move...there are two unregistered entities on this island and they appear to be on opposite ends of the island." Somewhere hidden deep within a solid compound in the middle of the island, a young girl was rambling off what popped up on her monitor and turned to address her superior. "I believe the two of them have regained consciousness."

"I want to test their aptitude." The commander, a woman with short dark blue hair, replied as she adjusted her red rimmed glasses. She was wearing an elaborate blazer with gold lining & buttons, and a large collar, which is open to reveal the blue innards of the blazer is blue, a black collared top with gold lining and a red tie. On her shoulders sits elaborately designed black & gold epaulets. The cuffs of the blazer is folded outwards, showing the blue insides with gold linings. "Send the closest Ritter."

"Miyasato and Kouzuki are nearby." Another young girl replied as the two dots appeared on the map.

"Those two..." The older commander released a sigh of grief, shaking her head with a little disappointment. "Slacking off again."

"The only problem is, those two are the only ones showing up on the radar. And there are two unknown entities. Which one would you like them to go after?"

"Hmm..." The commander glanced at the two unknown dots with a careful eye before making her final decision. "Get me in contact with those two."

* * *

 _Back to the beach..._

Underneath a large umbrella lounged two girls clad in bikinis and soaking up the warmth of the sun. With a glass table between them and two glasses of ice cold drinks, one would think that this was almost like being on a tropical paradise.

"Miss Miyasato, Miss Kouzuki, please copy." One of their hologram devices alerted them the presence of one of the communicators from base.

"Miyasato is not here." The one clad in a blue bikini replied with her arms crossed behind her head. She has short black hair that reaches her shoulders, while framing her face and small lips. Along with a slender, toned figure she also has deep tanned skin and relatively small breasts.

"Same for Kozuki." Her partner who was clad in a bikini replied as she twirled a strand of hair with her finger. Unlike Miyasato Kouzuki has a very curvaceous body and a much bigger bust. There was a light blue bow attached to her short wavy brown hair.

"I can see you." This time the voice changed and, startled by the commanding tone, the two of them turned around to stare into the angry eyes of their superior.

"Commander Kasumi?!" The two of them spluttered simultaneously as they tried to make themselves a bit more presentable to their higher up. "Th-This is, uh...Um...um..."

"I have a mission for you." Kasumi stated after adjusting her glasses. "Point 302. Test the aptitude of the new transfer."

"There's nobody here...and it's hot..." Another girl complained as she removed her jacket and held it close to her chest. She had red hair with two braided pigtails sticking out from the back. There was also a little white cat pendant attached to the left side of her bang. Her uniform resembles that of a school track uniform."What should I do?" She paused and turned to see the lush green palm trees towering over her. "Maybe if I get though this forest..." She turned around in fright, clutching her jacket with trembling fingers. "B-But what if there are bugs?! This is too much for a city-raised high school girl."

"Hey, little one!" She turned to see Miyasato and Kouzuki standing not too far away from her on top of some rocks. "Hello."

"Are you alone?" Kouzuki asked.

"Oh, thank goodness!" The girl exclaimed with glee after staring at the two strangers for about a good 5 minutes. She quickly rushed up to the pair as they hopped off the rock, dropping her jacket in the process. "Um..do you know where we are? Can I borrow your phone, if that's okay?" The two older girls took one look at her shirt before busting up in laughter. "Wh-What is it?"

"O-On your chest..." Miyasato gasped between laughs. "It says 'virgin' on your chest!"

"Ah!" The girl covered her chest with tears threatening to spill out and sank to her knees.

"Way to let the world know loud and clear!"

"All the purity-lovers are turned on!" snickered Kouzuki and the two of them continued their fit of laughter.

"N-No, this isn't 'virgin'." The girl said in a small defiant voice, attempting to straighten out her shirt to show them the characters on her chest. "It's my last name, Tokonome."

"So you're not a virgin?" Miyasato asked as their laughter subsided, wiping away a tear.

"You're more experienced than you look!" commented Kouzuki.

"Well, in that sense, I am a virgin..." The girl stated meekly, looking off to the side in embarrassment before shouting. "but my name is Tokonome Mamori! So can you answer my..."

"Heeeey!" The three of them turned their attention towards me as I approached them, waving my arms out in greeting. "Do any of you guys know how to get off this island?"

"Huh? Is she another transfer too? She's just a midget...a small half-pint munchkin. I don't understand why the commander has her panties in a twist over these two." Miyasato commented, obviously teasing about my short stature. "How tall are you sweetie?"

"142 cm."

"And how old?"

"16."

"No way! You're the same age as me!" Mamori stated with excitement as she gave me a look over. "That's totally awesome!"

"Huh!?" I looked at her in confusion. "How in the world are you the same age as I? Aren't you in middle school?"

"I'm in high school!" She retaliated with a pout. "And you look like a 5th grader!"

"Enough of this baby talk." Miyasato got our attention after getting tired of watching us banter. "So, Miss Tokonome the virgin, which one are you? A Liberator?"

"Or an Exter?" Kouzuki asked.

"What does she mean by 'virgin'?" I whispered and that's when I noticed the kanji on the girl's chest. "...oh."

"It's Tokonome, not 'virgin'." She assured me. "But more importantly, what did they mean by Lib...Ex...? Um...What is this about?" The other two gave each other knowing glances before getting into position.

"I mean this." In one fluid motion, Miyasato reached around and grabbed Kouzuki's breast, eliciting a moan from her partner. Synchronizing their body movements, they continued to grind against one another almost like a dance...perhaps a mating ritual.

"Oh...my...god..." I spluttered and immediately turned around, plugging both my ears with my index fingers to keep out the orgasmic moaning. _Lalalala, I'm not listening. I'm not listening! This is unnatural! My innocence is being defiled!_

"They're perverts!" The girl agreed even though she was peeking out from between her fingers and a huge blush was on her face.

"Oh yes...Yes..." Kouzuki yelled in pleasure at the fondling. "More..."

"Look, she's staring." Miyasato whispered teasingly as her fingers continued to do whatever they were doing but at a faster pace.

"Wow...that really turns me on! Ahn~" Kouzuki replied and with one last yell, her entire body shined a vibrant green light. Once it died down, she disappeared and Miyasato was holding what looked to be a machine gun.

"What...WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" I pointed at them with a shaking hand in confusion. "She...She...She turned into a freaking gun!?"

"Do you get it now?" Miyasato asked as she pointed the weapon in our direction.

"No!" The red haired girl replied. "I have no idea what's going on!"

"Oh, so you're not awakened yet." Now the blue bikini clad girl was confused and leaned the weapon against her shoulder as she looked at us.

"Awakened...?" Mamori repeated with the tilt of her head.

"Quit saying such ludicrous things!" I said, feeling my face starting to heat up as nasty thoughts popped into my head. "If we were to 'awaken'...does it have to be by doing...'that'?"

"Oh! Seems like the munchkin understands." Now the weapon was back to pointing at our faces. "Here's a wake-up call for you!"

"There's another transfer..." One of the communicators said as her eyes kept a close watch on the screen. "...Correction, two more transfers!"

"Four transfers in one day!?" Kasumi looked at the screen in surprise as the purple triangle and another yellow dart on the monitor started to close in at a fast rate. Soon the waves in the horizon rippled in a distorted manner before exploding, sending up a column of water straight into the air.

"What's that?!" Interrupted by the sound of explosion, Miyasato took her eyes off of us for one minute but that was all it took for a shadow to dart out from the dark forest and scoop me and the other girl up into its arms. "A-Ah hey!"

"I-It's you!" I gasped when I recognized that my savior as the same girl I fell upon in the forest. She had her trademark sleeping-mask resting on top of her head instead of over her eyes. Now that she was standing up instead of lying down, I assume that she was about 175 cm tall.

"Tch!" Gritting her teeth in frustration, Miyasato realigned her gun and took aim. "A string bean like you can't possibly beat the two of us!"

I might have agreed with the statement but the girl's lean physique was not something to over look because I could see the outline of her abs through her shirt. Setting us down behind her and making sure that we were somewhat out of the gun's range, she ran towards Miyasato with her hair streaming out behind her.

"Eat bullets!"

"Wow, they're going all out." Mamori commented as she stared with wide eyes at the raging battle with interest.

"Forget them, what was that explosion from before?" I asked.

"There!" She turned her head and pointed to a black pod that was heading straight towards us. "That looks like the same capsule I rode in to this island."

 _Funny, I think that's how most of us came to be at this bizarre place._ I thought just as a shield appeared in hopes of blocking the oncoming object. The pod crashed against the shield before pushing through and disappeared, injecting the transfer into the air.

The transfer appeared to be a young girl with tan skin and blond hair that had some chestnut highlights; her hair looked long enough to touch the ground. She also had longish bangs and a long lock sticking up like a "hair antenna".

Her standard attire is an untidy school uniform of some unknown alma mater/origins. The white blouse is left untucked and always has the top and bottom buttons undone. The half-open necktie is dark brown with a single white stripe down the center. The blazer is dark brown with gold piping and scarlet collar, and a blue and gold insignia on the left breast. The skirt is a red tartan with black and white stripes. She also wore black combat boots and fingerless black gloves. As she continued her descent, her bright purple eyes locked onto the red-head beside me and she twisted her body around mid-air to prepare for landing.

"Ack!" Mamori and I raised our arms over our eyes as the newcomer touched down on all fours, kicking up sand and dust. When she slowly stood up I could obviously tell by the red head's blush that she was a bit smitten by her golden haired goddess.

"Hmph and who are you supposed to be?" Miyasato snarled, turning her attention towards us now but took a step back out of weariness. "Are you already in Drive?!" In response, the new transfer held out both arms as if she were protecting us. "What's going on? Are you a friend of those two little girls?"

"No, this is the first time we've met." We said simultaneously.

"Okay." Miyasato just shook her head from side to side. "Whatever. One transfer, two or three, doesn't make a difference to me." She pointed her barrel gun at us. "Show me your powers!"

"Ahh!" Mamori yelped as the new transfer held her close against her body as the rain of bullets fell upon them. I dodged the bullets as best I could before a flash of red came into my line of sight and swept me off my feet.

"They dodged them all?!" Miyasato gaped in shock as we were left unscathed and the sand was rattled with bullet shells.

"Huff...huff...huff..." I realized that the girl carrying me was breathing a bit heavily and even collapsed to one knee in order to regain some strength.

"A-Are you okay?" I asked, noticing that my hand was stained slightly red due to her blood. She nodded her head once but keep her eyes on the enemy. Deciding to trust her words for now I turned to see if the other two were okay, breathing a sigh of relief when they weren't hurt.

"Take this!" Enraged, Miyasato continued to unleash bullets at max speed not even bothering to take aim. I felt the girl tighten her grip on me and weaved in and out of the bullets. The other two did the exact same thing, flipping and dodging till the ammo ran out. Once the bullets stopped, the transfer looked to check up on Mamori to see if any strays grazed her skin. Lucky there were no wounds on the said girl.

"My...My breast..." Mamori whispered with a blush on her face. Looking down she realized that the transfer had one hand around her shoulders and the other one firmly latched onto her left boob. "It hurts." The transfer actually let out a small gasp and blushed at what happened.

 _I...I'm pretty sure this is not the right time for groping._ I frowned as the two of them quickly separated, totally embarrassed. If we weren't in a very serious situation I would have laughed out loud.

"This is no time for love-comedy!" shouted Miyasato as she reloaded the weapon.

"Well aren't you a cock blocker. If this was a party, you'd be the party pooper!" I yelled at her only to have the other girl jump me, pinning me down as bullets ricocheted off the rocks behind us. "Woah!"

"Eat this!" Miyasato growled as I felt myself being dragged behind some sort of shelter.

"Get down."

"Pah!" I grunted as my face was shoved into the sand. The sound of something much like a tiny missile careened through the air followed by a huge explosion which showered sand and grit everywhere. The other two were engulf behind the curtain of smoke, their bodies suspended in mid-air due to the blast but their lips were connected.

 _I'm going to die..._ Mamori thought as her hand twitched slightly. _But it's strange...This ought to hurt, but..._ She slowly opened her eyes to see the other transfer hovering over her with her own eyes closed. _It feels good..._

"W-What's going on?" I asked, lifting up my head just as a strange light blinded me and the left over smoke started to swirl into a massive cyclone.

"Liberator...Exter..." Finally the girl spoke as she got off of me, shaking some of the sand and dirt from her hair. "Both have awakened." A silhouette soon emerged from the middle followed by a turquoise light that continued to shine like a twinkling star.

"What's going on?" asked a bewildered Miyasato before the ear piece went off with Kasumi ordering a retreat. Suddenly the golden-haired transfer zoomed out of the cyclone and dashed towards the gunner with her weapon drawn. Closing the distance and with one swing, another explosion rang out that shook the area within a one-mile radius. When the smoke cleared, Miyasato and Kouzuki laid on the beach with their outfits torn to shreds.

"...Woooow..." I breathed in admiration as the transfer stood up, her long blonde hair swayed gallantly in the wind as she surveyed her work. "She's amazing...but what happened to the other girl?"

"Look at what's in her hand." My eyes zoomed in on the sword and noticed the little cat ornament strapped to the hilt. It resembled the same cat clip Mamori had in her hair.

"The sword?"

"Bingo."

* * *

 _Somewhere..._

A person dressed in a white military uniform with red trim and gold braid, stood silently by the window with hands clasped behind her back, the green eyes calm and collective as if something outside demanded their attention. The extravagant items within her office symbolized just how powerful she was, a high ranking officer that reigned and commanded others.

"Governor, I have just received a report." A beautiful girl with long, pink hair and big breasts spoke as she walked into the room and stood behind the wooden desk, getting the red head's attention. Along with a skirt and stockings that are thigh high with garters, she also has triangular hair ornaments nestled on either side of her head. "The Information Division detected four new transfers, two of whom have successfully awakened. There is currently one Liberator and one Exter but the other two are currently unknown. Interestingly, the two that awakened were able to Drive immediately upon contact."

"What about the ones who went to test out their abilities?" The one referred to as 'Governor' asked calmly.

"Their lives are not in danger." The girl reported before turning away with a sigh of disappointment and looked at her long, sharp and painted nails with interest. "Why did Kasumi send a C-class pair?" Shaking her head from side to side, she excused herself and walked towards the door.

"Miss Charlotte. Where are the new transfers?" The woman in turn released a small chuckle as she paused mid-step at her Commander's question. She looked over her shoulder with a smirk on her face.

"This is Mermaid. There is only one place to go."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N** : Chapter 2 of _Resonance Drive_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the reader(s) who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 _Deep within the Forest..._

The dry leaves and other light debris that littered the ground crunched underneath my bare feet as I plodded along beside the other two girls. Mamori was currently out cold from the battle so she was currently riding on the back of the tall blonde. My mind was still reeling after the fight and I have pinched my skin a couple of times to make sure I wasn't dreaming...in fact I am currently pinching my skin as we speak.

"Yeoul keeps telling you that you aren't dreaming." I turned my attention to the red head beside me, her silver eyes watching my every move from the corners of her peripherals. "Repeatedly pinching your skin is bad for the nerve clusters."

Oh and another thing that I know about her is that her name is Yeoul. Nothing else is known but I'm sure I will get to know her a little more as we explore the island together. I decided that there wasn't much I could do at this point and decided not to torture my skin anymore. Tilting my head up, I gazed at the sky longingly through the huge leaves that provided shade for us. It wasn't every day when the weather was nice for a long walk like this.

"Huh!?" At this point, Mamori came too and she looked around in confusion. "Where are the scary people?"

"You don't remember?" I asked her, my mouth curled upward into a huge smile. "You guys kicked their behinds like bosses!" Yeoul just nodded her head in agreement at want I said.

"Is that so...?" Mamori said hesitantly before finding herself staring face first into the other girl's golden mane. "Did you save me?" When she didn't get a response after a few minutes, she continued speaking. "Th-Thank you very much."

"The new girl doesn't like to speak much does she." I commented in a hush tone.

"Yeoul thinks that unnecessary conversations are not ideal at the moment, especially when we have no idea where we're going." The red head replied calmly as we continued walking. "Once we find whatever we're looking for, times for talk will be endless."

"If you guys don't mind me asking, do any of you know where we are?" Mamori asked.

"Some island, that's for sure." I replied, folding my arms behind my head. "Other than that, I have no clue."

"Yeoul doesn't know much either." Yeoul stated while the blonde just shook her head no to the question.

"Oh, okay..." Mamori said in a small voice and fell silent for about another minute before pipping up again. "Hey, uh, I can walk, so you can let me down, and..." The girl came to a halt and looked down. I was about to ask why did she stop when the sound of hissing reached my ears. Looking back, we noticed the slimy bodies of a certain reptilian kind, the ones with

"AAAAHHH!" Jumping at least a foot off the ground I scrambled up Yeoul's body and wrapped my arms around her neck, the hairs on the back of my head were standing up like porcupine quails. "SNAKES!"

"Hmph." Yeoul grimaced uncomfortably at the sudden pressure I was exerting but shivered when one of the snakes snaked up her left leg, brushing its cold scales against her exposed skin. Lifting the appendage up, she ripped the animal away and tossed it to the side, watching it disappear into the bush.

"Wait, wait, wait! One moment on the letting me down part!" Mamori yelled, clinging to the blonde tightly. "Let's get past these snakes first!" She squealed loudly when a snake inched closure to her butt, its tongue darting out to taste the air and in the process touched her as well. The blonde's eyes widened when Mamori tightened her grip and broke into a run.

"Those are some perverted snakes!" I commented as Yeoul raced after the fleeing duo. She just glanced at me out of the corner of her eyes but continued running. "W-What's with that facial expression? You have something you wanna say?"

"Yeoul has no comment."

* * *

 _Somewhere..._

"You want to use Saejima?" Kasumi voiced her doubt as Charlotte gazed eloquently at her lovely nails. If diamonds are a girl's best friend, Charlotte's best friend would be her nails and nothing more. Parting her fingers slightly she could see the commander staring at her with a blank expression.

"Yes." The pink-haired girl replied confidently. "She is an A-class, the perfect choice for assessing the abilities of the new transfers."

"She has personality issues." Kasumi tried to persuade her to reconsider her choice, feeling that sending someone as unstable as Saejima to test the transfers would end in disaster and it left a foul taste in her mouth at the thought.

"Kasumi..." Charlotte interjected, glancing back over her nails with a knowing smile. "Discovering talent is of the highest priority for us Welter. We have no time for hesitation."

 _Ooooo, such lovely tidbits._ Outside the door, a young girl smirked to herself after honing in on the conversation. _This is the perfect opportunity for me to make my move._

"Is that an order?" asked Kasumi, making sure that Charlotte knows exactly what she's doing.

"Of course." Charlotte stated convincingly before glancing at the door in thought. Extending her right hand, she tore the door apart but there was nothing outside except the broken pieces of the once solid door that laid strewn on the tile floor. She smiled to herself. "How quick of her."

"Listen up, y'all!" The little sneak who eavesdropped on the higher ups, made it outside to the courtyard where some of the students were talking to one another, flapping her arms in the air to get attention. "We got ourselves some new transfers!"

"Seriously?!" Anyone and everyone within earshot muttered among one another with excited voices.

"Hasn't it been like two months?!"

"And Welter wants to make them face Saejima!" The girl continued, grinning to herself as a crowd circled around, eagerly lapping up the words. "So let's get this started!" Rummaging around in her pockets, she held out a small palm-sized device. "Two-to-one odds for Saejima, nine-to-one odds for the transfers! One Maid per bet!"

"Two bets on Saejima."

"Four bets for me." One by one the students started to pay up, much to the bettor's delight and she thanked the students for their contributions.

* * *

 _Elsewhere..._

"Ugh...where are we going now?" I asked. From what I could tell, we left the snake-infested forest behind us and the beach even further behind. "Man, I wish I had a compass or something...oh, thanks for the lift by the way." Yeoul just nodded her head before widening her mouth up in a yawn.

"Yeoul's sleepy..." She commented before gazing up towards the sky and blinked once. "and is gonna need some sunscreen soon."

"It's quite windy here too..." Mamori commented, wiping away some tears that appeared in her eyes. "Oh, thanks for the kind gesture...but this jacket warm enough." She said meekly when Yeoul offered her her jacket. Shrugging her shoulders, the red-head glanced at the jacket before looking at me.

"I'm fine." I replied, noticing that she was gonna offer it to me as well. Then I tensed up, reared my head back before letting out a sneeze. "Aaaaachoooo!"

"Yeoul will not bless you." She stated simply, retying the article of clothing back around her waist and continued walking.

"Never asked for it but thanks." I retorted, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. "Ew, I'm gonna have to wash my hands soon."

"Woow!" Mamori let out a gasp of delight as she stood beside the blonde. As the two of us caught up with them, we finally saw what she was so amazed about. What laid before us can only be described as something that came straight out of a fairy tale story. It was like a kingdom...a castle of sorts.

"A castle?" I blinked a few times to make sure it wasn't some hallucination. "Right out here in the middle of nowhere...strange isn't it?"

"There has to be someone there!" Mamori said as she ran ahead of us. "We're saved!" She turned around and ran off laughing.

"O-Oi! Wait for us!" I called after her and the three of us followed the exuberant girl all the way to the front entrance. Now that we were closer to the structure, it was then that we realize just how huge the place actually was. With the large over-arching gateways and white marble stones that made up most of its walls, it really did feel like we were in some fairy tale. With the light from the sun shining down at certain angles, one could even say this place was literally heaven.

"Um..." Looking around, Mamori frowned at the desolate place and slowed to a halt while the rest of us stopped right behind her. There wasn't a soul in sight nor was there anyone waiting to greet us. "Is someone...Is anyone here...?"

"Seems to me like a ghost town, which doesn't make sense." I frowned as well, glancing around in confusion. "Are you sure there's people living here? Did we take a wrong turn or something?"

"Kyaa!" Mamori yelped in surprise as the blonde sprang into action, scooping her up in her arms.

"H-Hey! What are you doi- Woah!" I also felt Yeoul's arms wrap around me as these giant wooden red walls pushed up through the ground. "Where did those come from?!" Once the walls were in place, we found ourselves caged in like some sort of fighting arena. Then out of nowhere, the sound of cheering captured our attention and we looked up to see an audience filled with girls dressed in a school uniform. Some were even waving to us but they were definitely yelling.

"Well that's a surprise..." Mamori said though she leaned closer to the blonde for comfort. "I just wish the...welcoming part...wasn't so...unsuspected..."

"Do you think that little munchkin will be okay?"

"They almost look like a mother and parent. How adorable!"

"I could just pinch her cheeks!"

"Good luck bean sprout!" A lot of angry veins started throbbing painfully against my forehead when I heard some of the commentary so I turned around and yelled at the audience, shaking my fists at them.

"Don't call me small! I'll break off your feet and stick em on your head!"

"Yeoul advises you to keep your emotions under control." Yeoul said as she restrained me, keeping her grip a bit tight as I thrashed about. "Getting angry can cause a lot of wrinkles to appear when you get older."

"Arrrrrgh..." Focusing on calming down, I released a sigh of frustration. "Let's just get this over with so we can high-tail it out of here."

"Whoever said you kiddies are allowed to leave?" The four of us turned to see someone appearing from behind us, riding on the platform that could probably lead somewhere deep underground. Our greeter was a girl with wild black hair, an eye-patch over her left eye and wore a school uniform that were too small. In one hand, she held a chain that was connected to a collar that much smaller girl was wearing.

She had dirty violet hair with red ribbons attached to both sides of her head but that wasn't the only thing that captured our attention. She was bound and gagged, with metal cuffs that kept her hands pinned behind her back and a bar in her mouth that prevented her from speaking. There was a slight blush on her face too.

"Are you the new transfers?" The first girl asked. Mamori let out a scared whimper but the blonde stepped forward, putting her body on the line and glared at her opponent.

 _Wha...What kind of fucking nightmare dressed as a daydream thing is this?!_ I could only stare with my mouth open, my mind unable to comprehend anything that was happening. _First it was those two girls in bikinis, then this idea of turning into weapons by getting aroused and now it's this weird chick who's into...I have no idea what that is...but it's inappropriate!  
_

"I'm gonna get started right away." The girl continued. "I'm kind of stressed out. I need to vent!" She pulled the chain forward, causing the other one to fall flat on her face from the sudden action. Lifting her left leg, she kicked the girl right between...well where the sun doesn't shine. The girl let out a yelp before changing it into a low moan.

"What are you doing?!" Mamori said out of concern and horror since she was probably witnessing this kind of abuse for the first time. "Please stop!"

"Oh hold on!" She grinned at us, digging her foot in deeper which elicited another moan. "Don't get the wrong idea, it's a necessary ritual because she needs this."

 _Well she does seem like she's enjoying it..._ I agreed, noticing that the blush had increased and covered her entire face. _But...this isn't the right way to go about it!_

"This is the only way she gets excited..." The girl continued to let out moans as she was being tormented. "She's a hardcore masochist!"

"That's enough!" I snapped at her, unable to endure all of the moaning that were coming out of the girl's mouth. "Can't you see she's-"

"Ahn~!" The girl, with tears running down her face, let out one last yell and transformed into her weapon in a flash of blood red flame. Letting out an insane laugh of pure excitement, the black hair grinned as her right arm was covered by a large armored, oversize gauntlet with a huge morning star mace attached to the end.

"That's..." uttered Mamori as her mind went back to the moment Miyasato and Kouzuki did their thing at the beach. "...just like before..."

"Not a bad Liberate Arm, for a slut who'll do it with anyone." The girl commented to the weapon before looking at us with a wild glint in her eyes. "So...shall we?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** : Chapter 3 of _Resonance Drive_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Valkyrie Drive Mermaid belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it!

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

 _Castle Arena..._

"No!" Mamori shrieked as the mace soared through the air towards us. Luckily the blonde quickly swept her off her feet bridal style and carried her to a safe distance. I quickly latched onto Yeoul and we went off in the other direction just as the ball of doom smashed into the ground where we once stood.

"Stop running, and show me!" The girl taunted, pulling her arm back to recall the mace before swinging it forward again, sending it towards the other two. "Show me your Arm! You cowards!"

"Heup!" After I hopped off her back Yeoul rushed forward at blinding speed to intercept the weapon, kicking the ball back with a strong reverse hook that sent the mace spiraling backwards. Landing in a crouch, she ran towards the girl with both hands tightened into fists.

"Oh ho~ Looks like we have a fighter." Licking her lips with anticipation, the girl called back the mace and tightened her hands into fists as well. "Fine, I'll take you down first!" Yeoul's eyes narrowed at the challenge but she firmly placed her foot down and the two of them proceeded to engage in close combat, the sound of their fists colliding sent shock-waves whistling through the air.

"Why won't the two transfers Drive?" Charlotte asked with boredom as she watched the fight with Kasumi by her side. "On top of that, how can that one girl hold her own against Saejima? She has guts, I'll give her that."

"Was the last time just a coincidence?" Kasumi wondered, her eyes hung onto every single movement behind her spectacles. "Or...is there a reason why the new comers don't want to fight?"

"Just running away?" One of the audience members, the girl who started the bet herself, was currently waving her fists into the air with anger. "They have to please the crowd, otherwise I get blamed for it!"

"Mei Fong." A voice spoke, causing the girl to flinch. Turning around, she was rewarded a gold coin which she almost dropped because it was so sudden. She looked at the duo in curiosity. One was a tall, young woman with shoulder length blond hair with a red fringe on the left side of her face. A pair of sunglasses currently covered her eyes and she was wearing a sexy black leather biker suit that exposes her cleavage, her shoulders, and her backside. Her black boots were only calf high and as for jewelry, she wore a small cross necklace.

The other one was a girl with long purple hair that reaches to the middle of her back and forming blunt bangs just above her eyes. She has yellow eyes and a rather sultry expression about her. She wears purple lipstick, matching her hair, wears black earrings and wears a black bandanna with a six petaled black and red flower. She dressed in a provocative, black two piece with red accents. The top that exposes the lower half of her breasts, plus her clothes expose her belly so her navel may be appreciated. On her feet she had on strapped up black high heels and there were black arm warmers around her arms.

"One bet on the transfers." The one wearing the sunglasses spoke with confidence.

"Oh, uh, thank you very much." Mei Fong replied, forcing a grin on her face though it turned into a mild frown as the duo turned their attention back onto the fight. _Lady Lady._

"There!" The girl crowed as she finally broke through Yeoul's defense, slamming the mace into the red head's stomach with a sickening crack.

"Oof!" Yeoul grunted from the impact before flying back. Seeing this, I rushed forward and braced myself for impact.

"Woah!" I clenched my teeth hard, digging my heels into the ground as Yeoul's body slammed into me. "Are you okay?" I asked once we came to a halt, the skid marks created by my feet were evident on the floor. She nodded her head weakly and stood back up on shaky legs, one arm wrapped around her stomach. "H-Hey wait, don't be so hasty."

"Yeoul is fine." Yeoul replied before running back towards Saejima to engage once more time, the eye-patch girl was more than happy to be entertained.

"You just don't know when to quit!" Lifting her arm up, she swung it downward in a circular motion. Thinking that it was a distracting movement, Yeoul just continued to focus her gaze on her opponent. However something heavy smashed against the back of her head, causing her to stagger. Falling to her knees, she tried to shake away her blurred vision before collapsing onto her side with a dazed look, blood running down the side of her face.

"That should keep her down for awhile." Saejima gloated as she called back the mace before getting smacked in the head. "Ow! What the-?!"

"Hey! Over here!" I shouted, picking up another piece of debris from the broken wall and threw it like a baseball player. "How dare you do that to Yeoul! I'll make you pay!"

"Why you little-Ow!" She grunted as the object hit her in the forehead, leaving a small red mark on her skin. "Come here you little bitch!" Leaping up into the air, she pulled back her arm before sending the mace my way.

"Woah!" I started running as the spiked ball smashed right near my body, grazing my arm by a hair. "Too close for comfort!"

"Quit jumping around you little squirt!" She snarled, her eye tracked every movement I made like a hawk. "Hopping around like a monkey...pisses me off."

"As if I'd listen to you, you mad woman!" I responded, ducking as the mace flew over my head and embedded itself into the wall behind me. "You think I want to get hit by a ball covered with spikes?!"

She pulled a little throttle that was attached to her Arm, making the spikes around the mace grow larger in size. A nasty grin widened across her face, no doubt imagining impaling my body with one hit.

"Well isn't that a fancy trick." I mused even though I was quivering on the inside. "But like I said...I don't wanna get hit any time soon."

"Round 2 starts now!" Eye-patch girl replied, twirling the mace high over her head. "Get ready to dance you little monkey!"

"Quit calling me a monkey!" I retorted angrily.

"L-Let's surrender." Mamori said weakly as she watched the fight, looking at the blonde with a pleading expression. "Maybe if we apologize, they'll leave us alone."

"We didn't do anything wrong!" I was close enough to them to hear that statement so I responded appropriately before the mace smacked me right in the jaw and I skidded across the ground on my back. "Ow! That's gonna leave a mark!"

"No." The blonde finally spoke after analyzing the situation in a calm manner, this was actually the first time she had spoken since her arrival to the island. "There is no future for us in that direction." She slowly caressed Mamori's face with her hand, gazing deeply into her eyes. "I'm sorry."

 _Wh-What is this?_ Mamori's eyes widened when their lips connected and she felt hands making their way down her stomach. _Something's coming inside of me..._

 _Oh my..._ I couldn't turn away so a huge blush ended up on my face as the two of them got their sexy on. _I wish they would warn us when they're gonna do that!_

"Yeoul is intrigued."

"Yeoul you're okay!" I exclaimed with joy as she rose to one knee, wiping the blood out of her eyes. Running over I wrapped my arms around her in a hug. "Thank goodness!"

 _Why is she doing this?_ Mamori continued to question even though her body clearly loved the attention that it was receiving. _Oh, but it feels so good...I'm losing it...I...I...I'm being deflowered!_ With a final cry, she leaned back as her body started to glow that rosy pink hue.

"Fusion Trans..." The blonde spoke as the two of them got into position. "Liberate Arm!" Soon Mamori's body disappeared in a flash of pink rose petals before a turquoise flame exploded into existence.

"They're Driving!" Kasumi exclaimed.

"Finally." stated Charlotte, resisting the urge to roll her eyes with impatience. Once it died down, Mamori had turned into the weapon we witnessed on our first encounter, the double-edge sword. Her signature cat charm could be seen attached the hilt with its charming smile and blush.

"So you've finally made up your mind, huh?" The girl sneered, giving them her full attention. "You know what, though?" She pointed the mace at them but instead of shoot the entire ball at them, the spikes themselves shot out in waves, like a spike cannon. Unfazed, the blonde rushed forward, dodging and swiping with agile ease. "You stupid sword!"

"It is over." Yeoul commented as I blinked a couple of times, it happened so quickly that I swear that I blinked. "We won."

"Huh?" The eye-patch girl looked at her Arm with shock as multiple cracks started running along the surface, faint blood red light slowly emerged from the wounds as well. "My Arm...How...?!"

Kaboom~ A huge explosion occurred as the blonde landed in a crouch with Mamori clutched tightly in her hand. Not an ounce of expression donned her face; that shows just how much fighting experience she has.

"That was amazing!" The blonde looked surprised as I ran up to greet her, hugging her in the process as Yeoul trailed a little further behind, still uneasy on her feet. I fear that she may have gotten a concussion but I'll tend to that later. "That was so cool! Ahahaha!"

"Th-The rookies won..." Mei Fong whispered as she blended in with the awestruck audience, not an ounce of sound could be heard beside the usual gasp of shock.

"Saejima, taken down so easily...?" Charolette frowned at the ending result, clearly displeased.

"Those two..." Kasumi muttered almost to herself. "Their abilities surpass even the A class?" _And the other two..._ her eyes narrowed in on me and Yeoul specifically. _They haven't even shown us their true powers yet either...this is concerning._

"Soldiers...?" From within the structure, the Governor watched the match with a watchful eye. The cameras themselves were focused on us but in particular the blonde. _That power...Perhaps..._

"This is getting interesting, J." The mysterious woman from earlier spoke to the motorcycle as she looked back over her shoulder at the castle with a smirk on her face. "Now I won't be bored."

The blonde had knelt down to her knees, holding Mamori gently across her lap. When it was time, the weapon glowed and changed back into her human form. Moaning and opening her eyes, Mamori regained her bearings and quickly rolled away from her 'partner' in a comical manner. Seeing that her breasts were left exposed as well, she pulled her shirt down immediately with a huge red tint across her face.

"You...You did..." Mamori whined as she remembered the kiss very fondly. "Why?" The blonde, also remembering about their little love moment, averted her eyes so that she wasn't looking at the girl directly and blushed in response. "My...first time..." She continued to sniffle.

"Look at her!" One of the girls pointed out with elation. "On her chest...It says 'virgin'!"

"What's that?!"

"Way to let the world know!"

"No!" Mamori shouted back as laughter filled the air from the audience, getting to her feet immediately to protest. "This is my last name, Tokonome! To-Ko-No-Me! Not 'Virgin'!"

"What a running gag..." I sighed as Yeoul nodded her head with agreement, wincing a bit after doing the movement. "Looks like this will never go away anytime soon. Oh, let me help you." Tearing a long strand of cloth from her shirt, Yeoul was trying to wrap it around her head to stop the bleeding but her fingers weren't obeying her command that well. I stepped in and proceeded to fix what she had so far and continued to the end, tying it loosely into a knot.

"...Thank you." Yeoul said, reaching up to touch the knot with her hand. I smiled and helped her to her feet since she was still a bit wobbly.

"You okay?" I asked the blonde who still had the blush on her face, it would seem that she was still thinking about the kiss...or she was just zoned out and the blush refused to remove itself. Snapping out of her thoughts at the sound of my voice, she nodded her head slowly and got back onto her feet. "Oh good, you aren't hurt."

"...A virgin? Seriously?"

"Hey, um...I know it's confusing, but the kanji for my name is read 'Tokonome.'" Mamori was still trying to persuade the laughing audience.

"Is her name really Virgin?"

"That said, if you were to ask me if I was a virgin or not, I am absolutely a virgin..." The girl sniffed before sighing with defeat, her head hanging low, "Oh, what am I going on about..."

"Impressive." A voice spoke and we turned our attention to the sound of high heels clicking against tile flooring. The walls around us disappeared underground and a new comer approached us, a girl with long pink hair. "Saejima is an A-class. To defeat her so easily..." By now the entire audience was silent, as if holding their breath with anticipation.

 _So that's her name._ I thought to myself as I looked at the face-down opponent. _Now I don't have to call her 'Eye-patch Girl'._ We watched as the girl walked across the arena to where Saejima was and without mercy, slammed her foot down onto her left hand, the heel breaking through the flesh.

"Ahh!" Mamori let out a horrified gasp while the blonde just narrowed her eyes at the action as Saejima let out a pained cry.

"Disgusting..." The pink-haired girl said scathingly, crossing her arms underneath her breasts. "Overly confident about your powers..." She applied more pressure causing blood to flow out. "Intoxicated by the pleasure of violence..." Even the audience members were freaked out by it, worried expressions on their faces. "It's trash like you that make the Hexe underestimate us."

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Saejima screamed as her hand was completely crushed, the sound of breaking bones was loud enough for everyone to hear. Some of the girls covered their mouths with their hands to avoid throwing up while others just stared with wide eyes.

"Ouch..." Mei Fang winced, flinching from where she was leaning over the rails to get a closer look. "Nasty."

"Please stop!" Mamori said from behind the blonde. "Why are you doing such a terrible thing?!"

"Hey!" I growled, clearly displeased at how this woman could just waltz in like she owned the place, and was treating someone like...like crap. "She obviously had enough. Cut her some slack!"

"Huh?" Charlotte turned her head to me, giving me a stink-eye. "What are you blabbering about newbie? Isn't this how it works? Weakness isn't allowed in battle and if you are weak, then you are to be punished. And besides," She smiled. "This is none of your concern. Don't you dare talk back to your superior."

"If you were in any way a superior, then you should be treating your lower ranks better." I spat back. "And I don't think you deserve my respect after what you just did. So go and suck it, you capricious cruel bitch!" In the background, the audience simultaneously gasped.

"...What...did you just say...to me?" She said in a soft voice, her hands trembling.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry. Maybe I should say it a bit louder." I cleared my throat and repeated myself so that everyone could hear. "Go and suck it, you capricious cruel bitch!"

"...Never in my life...have I been badmouthed by a couple of munchkins..." Charlotte snapped with an evil grin. "I'm going to enjoy killing you slowly and painfully."

"That probably wasn't...a good move...perhaps you should-" Mamori didn't even finish before the blonde sprang into action, running at the pink-haired girl. Pulling her right arm back, she aimed a punch to the face but it was deflected easily...by some really really long pointed nails. Frowning, the blonde somersaulted backwards, her feet skidding against the ground.

"Ha! Is that all you got?" Charlotte gloated before her hair flew to the side due to a blast of wind. "Wha-?! No!" Thanks to the distraction, Yeoul was able to step in and grab both Saejima and the other girl before high-tailing it back to where we awaited her. "You sneaky rat!"

"Is she going to be okay?" Mamaori asked as both of them were laid down next to each other. She flinched at gruesome wound on damaged hand. "I sure hope this can be treated..."

"If it's just broken bones, I don't think there should be anything to worry." I said but then again, I was no doctor. "Let's just focus on the task for now and someone could fix her up."

"Hmph. Well whatever, I'll deal with you first..." Charlotte said as red tendrils wrapped themselves around the blonde-haired fighter. "And then the shrimps come after." More and more metallic red tendrils exploded from the ground, wrapping themselves around the blonde's legs and arms, holding her in a tight bind.

From behind Charlotte approached another girl, a girl with light-skinned short green hair and grayish-blue eyes. She wore the standard Adel uniform with a choker heart necklace. Apparently she was a liberator and one of the pink-haired girl's most trusted followers. I am pretty sure that she'd take a bullet if asked. She also wore some kind of armament in the shape of a butterfly's wings and there were red tendrils wrapped around it as well. With a smirk that mirrored Charlotte's, she lashed out with one of the thicker tendrils, much like a whip.

"Argh!" The blonde yelped as the rough surface of the object nipped at her skin. The torture didn't let up as her head snapped left and right as the whip continued to bare down upon her.

"Stop! Please, stop!" Mamori yelled, distressed and fearful for the blonde.

"As if! Continue Ange and don't stop unless I tell you!" Charlotte ordered. The girl didn't need to be told twice and continued, the whip singing through the air faster and crispier.

"Ugh!" The green haired girl finally stumbled back as Yeoul appeared, one hand wrapped around the whip to pull the girl towards her, slugging her in the face with a fast right hook.

"You..." The blonde said as Yeoul ripped the tendrils with her bare hands, the red materials fluttered to the ground like paper. Freed from the bindings, she sank to her knees and began to recover from the stings.

"Are you okay?" asked Mamori as she knelt beside the blonde, concern in her voice. Getting over the whipping, she turned and leaned in close, hoping to kiss Mamori to initiate their Drive but that didn't happen. "Wh-Wh-Why would you do that!? We're both girls!"

"You bitch!" Ange spat with anger, getting our attention and her cheek was swollen from the punch. Snapping her arm forward, her whip sang through the air and wrapped itself around the red head's right leg right above the ankle. With a large pull, she pulled the fighter's leg right underneath her and Yeoul fell flat onto her back with a grunt. "Get a taste of this!"

"Yeoul!" I yelled as I watched her get slammed repeatedly against the ground and even against the walls. The audience members couldn't even bare to watch anymore and I feel as though they wished that the fighting was over.

"There!" Ange yelled as she pulled in a downward motion. Yeoul's eyes widened with surprise as the tendril tightened its grip around her heel and with a jerking motion she came crashing down, kicking up dust and smoke.

"Yeoul!" I shouted with horror as the tendril released its hold, leaving the red head to lay there knocked out of commission in a crater-sized hole. The bandage slipped off during the scuffle and I saw it laying only a few feet away in a bloody heap.

"How dare she messed up my face in front of Charlotte-sama." Ange spoke as she stood over Yeoul. "I will punish her severely!" But before she could, I had the blonde throw me with all her might thus barreling straight into her with a deadly headbutt. As she reeled from the impact, I used that opportunity to latch onto her body like a koala. "What the-?! Get off you fucking brat!"

"Take this!" I growled and, lifting both of my hands up to display some really sharp pointed nails, proceeded to rake them against her face like a feisty cat. Stumbling back, she howled with pain and violently shook me off. Twisting my body mid-air I landed on all fours, gazing at her with my burning olive green eyes.

"You little!" She glared with animosity as little red lines appeared all over. "I'll kill you!"

"Ange!" Charlotte snapped, putting her hands on her hips with annoyance. "Why are you toying with her? Kill her already!"

"I apologize Charlotte-sama!" She said, gritting her teeth with anger and shame of being showed up in front of her master.

"Quit letting your followers do all your chores for you!" I snapped, running straight at the pink-haired myself. "Do it yourself for a change!"

"It seems you want to die early." Her nails glistened in the sun as she ran at me. "I'll make it swift and clean!"

"That's enough!" A much more commanding voice said, stopping us in our tracks with our fists just inches from touching. We turned to see a short dark blue haired girl wearing red rimmed glasses approach us with the aura of a high elite. When she stopped before us, her turquoise colored eyes glared more at the pink-haired girl instead of me...or probably both of us. "Charlotte, you have gone too far. This is not how we treat new transfers, or have you forgotten?"

"But Kasumi, did you not hear what that filthy munchkin call me?!" Charlotte asked indignity as I ignored her and went to kneel by Yeoul's side to make sure that she was okay. Unfortunately the wound reopened but it wasn't too deep, some stitching would do the trick."Such utterance deserves punishment!"

"We'll discuss it with the Governor but that's enough out of you." Kasumi replied, leaving no room for arguments. "This chaotic scuffle is over." She then turned her attention to the audience. "Everyone return to the dorms. Now!"

"Tch...Fine! Get the two smaller ones into the rooms!" Charlotte ordered and a couple of arms latched onto me, dragging me away so that I stood next to Mamori with my arms held behind my back. "Throw the other two into a disciplinary room and lock them up...and can someone patch the bleeding one up already?! I don't want her blood staining the tiles, I just had them polished yesterday!"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N** : Chapter 4 of _Resonance Drive_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my OCs. Valkyrie Drive belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it!

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 _Some mysterious place..._

"Sun...please hurry." A female's voice whispered urgently and borderline frantic. Slowly the cloud veil that acted as a barrier cleared up and I could envision a womanly figure cradling a small child in her arms. She had long flowing golden brown hair and she had monkey hands and feet...as well as a tail sticking out underneath her long robes. "Those foreign diplomats are almost here. We can't have them take away our baby for some scientific experiment."

"I understand that Mei-Lien..." Another figure, a male this time, replied as he knelt beside a small hole. He had light brown hair that was slick back and also sported monkey hands, feet and tail. "May I?" He held the child in his arms and gazed at her with warmth in his eyes. "They will never get to you...you'll be safe."

"You're going to transfer your power to her...right?" The one known as Mei-Lien asked.

"I don't have a choice, it was bound to happen sooner or later as predicted by my ancestors." Sun replied, opening his mouth to reveal bright white canines and he sank his fangs into the baby's right arm. When he withdrew after about five minutes, there were two puncture marks in the skin but it was really hard to spot with the naked eye. "It is done..." Waving his hand over the child, he sealed her inside a luminous green crystal and placed her in the hole. "I can only hope that she doesn't fall into the wrong hands..."

"We will never know in this lifetime..." His partner replied as she watched the hole fill back up with soil, wiping a tear from her eyes. "This might be my only regret...not watching my baby grow up."

"Well well well..." The two of them turned to see a mysterious person approach them from the woods. The lighting was quite poor but I could vaguely tell that it was definitely a female by the tone of voice. Flanking her on both sides were what looked like artificial beings; based on the glowing, sinister eyes and other luminous patterns running along the bodies I knew for a fact they weren't human. "It seems I've missed a few."

"Watch out!" Mei-Lien shouted, throwing her body in front of her husband to take the bullets that were being fired. "Ahhhh!"

"Mei-Lien!" Sun yelled as he watched his partner's bloodied body collapsed to the ground, staining the soil bright red. "Oh my beloved!"

"Sun Wukong, or would you like me to address you by your preferred title...'Monkey King'?" The mysterious female asked as she ordered her soldiers to cease fire. "It's a shame it had to end this way but...it's for the greater good of humanity."

"You invaded my homeland, you captured my brothers and sisters for your devious experiments and you even slaughtered my wife in cold blood!" Sun replied as he grieved for his dead partner. "But I know what you're actually here for..."

"Then...will you give it to us willingly? Or will we have to resort to using force?"

"You know very well what my answer is." Summoning his trusted staff, Sun slammed it into the ground and his eyes flashed angrily at his enemies. "Bring it on!"

"If that is what you wish, don't say I didn't warn you." She agreed and snapped her fingers. "Kill him and when you're done...find that child."

There was a strong flash of light and when it died down, the land was ravaged beyond recognition, signifying a great battle that took place. Pieces of metal and scrap littered everywhere but there was no sign of Sun or his body.

"Master...we did not accomplish our task of finding that child." One of the beings spoke, kneeling before the mystery woman. "Perhaps it perished during the fight..."

"Not possible...I know for a fact that I didn't waste my time destroying this place just to have the perfect specimen slip through my fingers..." The woman growled as she gathered her team together. "Perhaps not this time...but in time..." Leaving it like that, she turned on her heels and walked off as the image shimmered and faded into nothingness.

* * *

 _Inside the palace..._

I opened my eyes, blinking a few times before looking around in grogginess. Consistent images of the battle as well as the gleaming eyes of the non-human beings continued to burn through my mind...it was bugging me and I had no idea why. Sitting up, I felt light-headed and a wave of nausea hit me like a ton of bricks to the point where I felt I was gonna black out again.

"Wh-Where am I?" I asked to no one in particular and looked down before emitting a squeak. "And where are my clothes?!"

"Good, you're awake." I turned to see a girl with red-rimmed glasses standing by the foot of the bed. "Don't worry, you were just unconscious."

"...hmmm..." I narrowed my eyes a bit, gripping the blanket a bit tight in apprehension.

"Relax. I have no intention of doing you harm. I promise."

"Well at least you seem more reliable than that other girl..." I stated, looking off to the side and noticed my clothes laying on a chair. "The pink-haired girl from earlier..."

"You mean Charlotte? Gonna have to agree with you there, I swear sometimes the power rushes straight to her brain." The girl nodded her head with a small laugh. "Anyways my name is Kasumi Shigure, Commander of Welter. What is your name?"

"My name...it's Akane. Akane Sarutobi." I answered her since it was appropriate to introduce myself and she already told me her name as well.

"Miss Sarutobi, do you know why you have been brought to this island?" Kasumi asked.

"I'm not sure...so that would be a no."

"Okay, I'll give you a brief explanation." With a swipe of a hand, she brought up a hologram version of a land mass residing in the middle of what seemed to be an ocean. "This is an artificial island called Mermaid. We were brought here because we are all infected with the Armed Virus."

"Armed...Virus...?" I questioned.

"It is a disease with no known cure that grants a special power." Kasumi explained.

"A special power?" I pushed myself out of bed and began to dress with my back facing the Commander. "I believe you must be mistaken. There's no way I possess a...what did you call it? Armed Virus?"

"If you didn't possess the Virus then you wouldn't be here on the island now would you?" Kasumi said as I finished dressing. Then she proceeded to tell me about what it means to be an Exter and a Liberator as well as showed me a video from the fight against Saejima while pointing out the important parts.

"So all of the people on this island are either an Exter or a Liberator?" I asked once the video was finished.

"Exactly and you are no different." She replied, looking at me straight in the eyes out of curiosity. "I believe your power is currently lying dormant within your body. I sense so much potential coming from you."

* * *

 _In another room..._

"Miss Charlotte, the new Liberator transfer and the other transfer have been placed in the underground disciplinary room." Ange reported to her partner.

"Thank you." Charlotte replied, glaring at her chipped nails with mild anger. "Good work." Then she lowered her hand and looked off to the side in thought. "That girl—She knew her powers and how to wield them. Could she be the rumored 'Soldier'?"

"That is merely a rumor." said Ange.

"At any rate, she needs to learn." Standing up, she brushed herself off and left her room in quick strides. "She might have been special in normal society, but on this island, she is just one of many. How about the other one?"

"Well our nurses patched her up the best they could. Once they were done, I had some of the lower ranking members transfer her to the room with the utmost care." Ange said as she walked behind Charlotte. "If you asked me, I think you went a bit...overboard. Even though I believe she received most of her wounds from the previous fight."

"Hmph, it's not like she died. She should be grateful." Charlotte replied as she made her way to my room and entered without knocking. "Hey Kasumi, are you done explaining?"

"Charlotte..." Kasumi said as the two new comers walked in.

"Look what the cat dragged in..." I muttered to myself before addressing my guest. "Where's the other three girls who were with me? How are they doing? You better not have done anything bad or else!"

"How dare a munchkin like you threaten someone like me." Charlotte spat. "The Liberator and the red-head chick are currently in the disciplinary room since they were so disobedient. The other puny one is currently on her way to find a suitable mate."

"Oh so now you're playing match maker. Finally something worthy of a 'high-ranking' officer. I assumed you just sit on your ass and look at your nails all day long! Some superior you are." I snickered, earning myself a perfect glare from the pink-haired girl. "Who the hell elected your butt into office? Your loyal subjects?"

"Can it! You tiny, insufferable munchkin!" Charlotte snarled before releasing a huff. "I won't waste my breath bantering with you because you're next on my list. Now stay here and wait your turn."

"Hey! Are you running away?" I yelled at her.

"Well...since I'm here..." In a flash, she ripped my clothing to shreds. I blinked once before letting out a yelp, covering myself the best I could since I was left in my underwear. "I'll be taking your measurements...for your wedding."

"W-W-Wedding...!" Steam was coming out of my ears and my face turned red at the thought. "I'm not old enough!"

"It's not like a real marriage matchmaking like in the outside world." Ange explained. "It's a ceremony for choosing the right Liberator for maximizing the abilities of the Exter."

"But...you don't know if I'm a Liberator or an Exter." I told them stiffly, sticking out my tongue out too to show how displeased I was. "So...there!"

"She has a point." Ange agreed with what I said, looking at Charlotte for guidence. "We can't tell for sure yet."

"Fine, that's not too big a deal." Charlotte turned on her heels and walked out. "Then she'll remain here in Welter until her powers awaken and then we'll proceed with her wedding. For now...let's see how the other one is doing."

* * *

 _Disciplinary Room..._

When the blonde came to, she found her wrists chained together and her back pressed against the wall. Testing out the shackles for a bit she looked around and noticed that Yeoul was chained up next to her, her sleeping-mask over her eyes and the slight rise and fall of her chest indicated that she was sleeping. At least she wasn't worried about her predicament.

"Remember us from this afternoon kiddies?" Their jailers, Kouzuki and Miyasato, asked as they entered the room. Wrapped in bandages they seemed to be quite lively and eager to carry out their duties punishing those who were disobedient. Kouzuki wanted to start the lesson in pain first, eyeing the blonde with glee.

"You're not putting your full strength into your hits." Miyasato corrected her partner after watching the show for a little bit before taking over. All the while the blonde didn't utter a single cry of pain but continued to glare angrily at the jailers as they continued to torture her with the wooden bat. To her, getting hit with such a weak weapon felt like receiving a small pinch.

"I'm...feeling tired..." Kouzuki exclaimed after what felt like hours as her arms trembled by her side.

"Hmm...me too." Miyasato agreed, wiping off a bit of sweat from her brow. "Let's take a rest before moving on to Sleeping Beauty over there." Leaning the bat against the wall, the two of them sat down together and fell asleep within minutes.

 _If only I can get out of these shackles..._ the blonde growled as she started pulling, hearing the metal rattle against the stone. _God damn it..._

"Pssst!" She looked up as a small stature of a girl approaching from the shadows. Making sure that the jailers were indeed in deep sleep, she turned her attention to the newcomer. She had chestnut-colored hair that was tied into two separate ponytails and playful emerald orbs. With a pink cowboy hat settling comforting on her head, a tied-off halter top covered by a brown leather sleeveless jacket and a green skirt that was held up by a white belt, she looked like a young cowgirl. For shoes, she had on brown leather boots. "Howdy!"

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The blonde asked, eyes narrowing with weariness. Sensing a change in the air, Yeoul snapped out of her sleep and listened carefully to the conversation with trained ears.

"Hey now, don't be scary. I'm here to help you two." The cowgirl replied as she pulled out what looked like a mini flamethrower gun combination. She made her way to the blonde first and started working on the metal. "Reason is simple. I was running bets on your fight yesterday. Besides I am currently just following orders. Boy, did I make a killing! I owe you two this much."

KWOONK! Klink~ Klink~ Klink~

"H-Hey now!" The girl whimpered as Yeoul suddenly grabbed her by the front of her shirt, pinning her against the wall as her lips pulled back angrily. "D-Don't be mad, we're all friends here!"

 _When did she...?_ The blonde looked bewildered at how easily the shackles broke for the red-head just by brute force. Noticing that the equipment fell not too far away from her, she reached out with a foot to draw it in close and broke one of her arms free thanks to the cracks made by the tool. Picking the instrument up with her free hand, she used it to break the other half of the shackle into pieces.

"I had to skate on some real thin ice to get here you know. Be thankful!" The cowgirl winced as Yeoul tightened her grip. "I-It's not like I took any!" She looked off to the side. "Fine, fine, my bad. Here, I'll tell you where the other girls are, and we're even. Cool?"

"...speak..." Yeoul ordered as she lowered the girl down. After getting as much information out of their tiny savior, the two girls rushed out of their underground dungeon at breakneck speed.

"Oh man, those two are sure hasty aren't they?" The cowgirl commented as she left the room with her arms crossed behind her head. Then she smiled towards the darker part of the room, as if knowing that someone was there. "I did as you asked."

"Would the payout from my bet from yesterday suffice as payment?" Came a sultry voice from the shadows.

"Oh, more than enough! Thanks for your business!" The girl said quickly before running off to conduct another mischievous act.

 _Still a long way to go..._ The blonde thought as she looked up at the tallest building in town. _Please, let me make it in time..._

"Give Yeoul your hand." Yeoul said, getting her attention. Even as she was at her highest speed, the red-head managed to match her step by step. Once they had connected hands the red-head skidded to a halt and, turning on the balls of her feet a full 360, she threw the blonde towards the tower with all her strength.

 _She's strong...!_ The blonde thought as she flew through the air like a rocket. When she got closer to the building, she swore she heard Mamori's scream which was a mixture of fear and pain. Crossing her arms in front of her face, the blonde crashed through one of the glass-stained windows and interrupted the ceremony.

"You!" The potential Liberator snarled as the wedding crasher landed on the ground in a crouch. However the blonde had her eyes fixated on Mamori who was in a white wedding dress and had tears in her eyes. Kicking the Liberator away, she quickly walked up to Mamori and picked her up bridal-style.

"Let's go. Okay?" She looked at Mamori to make sure the girl was okay with the plan.

"Yes!" Mamori responded confidently, feeling remarkably comfortable in the blonde's arms.

"Where do you think you're going?" Charlotte asked, getting their attention as she and Ange walked into the chapel. "You cunning little girl. How did you and that other rat escape from the disciplinary room?"

"Um...Please, no violence..." Mamori said, knowing full well that the blonde wouldn't hesitate to attack but this time she just nodded her head in understanding.

"To do that..." The blonde trailed off, unsure with how the girl would react.

"To do that...?" At first Mamori didn't understand but then she did and realized that she had to kiss the blonde and her eyes wandered to the girl's lips. She hesitated a bit before making a final decision, voluntarily puckering up her lips for a kiss. The blonde's eyes widened in surprise and she was visibly touched by the gesture. Wasting no time, she pulled her close and sealed their lips into a passionate kiss.

 _Oh, a prince comes to rescue me._ Mamori thought. _A dream come true...but why, oh why, is my prince a girl?_

* * *

 _From my room..._

"That light...! I know that light!" I gasped as I noticed the shining turquoise beacon outside my window, shielding my eyes from the offending glare that was reflecting off the glass. "It's probably from the other two from earlier! I wonder what's happening right now?"

"Ack! What are you doing?!"

"Stop right there!"

"I-Intruder! Intruder!"

 _There's shouting outside my room...sounds like a fight..._ I turned my head as screams of pain reached my ears. Then I noticed the rumbling sounds of footsteps approaching and quickly ducked behind the bed. The door suddenly flew off its hinges, and Yeoul stormed in, glancing around feverishly.

"Y...Yeoul?" I popped up from my hiding place and she rushed to my side, her eyes scanning my body for any sign of wounds. Seeing none, she released a sigh of relief and pulled me into a hug. "Umm Yeoul...we have company..."

"Ahh! Someone please inform Miss Charlotte! The other transfers are planning on escaping!" Reinforcement arrived and all the girls pointed their weapons at us.

"We need to go.." I whispered as Yeoul and I backed up slowly. _And I'm still naked..._

"Get on." Yeoul said as she destroyed the window with a strong kick.

"Can you make it at this height?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her neck and pressing my legs against her side. Hooking her arms underneath my legs, she simply jumped out without a second thought. We fell fast and the winds whisked shrilly past our ears...or in my case, nipped at my exposed skin. A huge cloud of dust flew up the moment Yeoul's feet made contact with the ground and she took off running as if it was no big deal, bursting through the smoke like a red streak. Another explosive sound reached my ear and I looked up to see a small ball of light shooting across the sky.

Charlotte ran out to the balcony with Ange right on her heels, witnessing the shining light disappeared over the mountains towards the sea like a shooting star. Biting her lips in rage, she managed to witness Yeoul and I disappear beyond the town walls and out into the wild.

"Looks like their partners have been decided." Kasumi commented as she stood beside Charlotte.

"Hmph. Well in that case, those girls...They are now enemies of us Welter." The pink-haired girl replied with a small glint in her eyes.

* * *

 _On the beach..._

The sun was finally setting tainting the sea with its fiery hue and the waves crashed lazily against the white sand. Mamori currently sat elegantly on a rock while the blonde stood right beside her. The two of them haven't spoke a word since they left the building but just gazed at the spectacular view in peaceful silence, letting the sea breeze blow playfully through their hair.

"Um...thank you for saving me." Mamori broke the silence first as she looked at the blonde. "Did it hurt?" The blonde turned to look at her and shook her head no. "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself." Mamori stood up and smiled. "My name is Mamori Tokonome. I'm a second year student at Tokyo Sakuragaoka High school. I'm sixteen years old."

 _This girl..._ The blonde turned so that she stood face-to-face with Mamori with a stoic expression.

"Um...is something wrong?" Again the question was answered with a head shake. "What's your name?"

"Mirei Shikishima...I'm fifteen years old." The blonde responded.

"Oh, your name is Mirei." There was a slight pause before Mamori freaked out, finally letting the words settle into her brain. "Wait...F-Fifteen?!" Her eyes glossed over Mirei's clearly matured body, her voice stuttering. "You're...You're...You're...! You're younger than me?!"

Trump~ Trump~ Trump~ Trump~

"HEYYYYYY!" The two looked to see a giant cloud approaching them. "So this was where you two landed." Coming to a stop, Yeoul stood before them and knelt on one knee so that I could climb down safely. "Umm...actually I'll stay here, I'm not wearing anything except...my underwear." I whispered that last part, my face flushed a scarlet color. Indicating that she understood my predicament with a single nod of her head, she stood back up.

"I...I still can't believe...Mirei is only fifteen!" Mamori said almost to herself rather than to us, stealing glances at the blonde with a blush on her face. "She's actually...younger than me...younger!"

"So you're Mirei?" I turned to the blonde who nodded her head. "Nice to meet you! I'm Akane Sarutobi, sixteen years old."

"And what about you?" Mamori asked Yeoul. "What's your name?"

"Yeoul Rangetsu." Yeoul replied before releasing a huge yawn. "Fifteen years old as well."

"WHAT?!" I looked at her startled, careful not to fall off her back. "You're younger than me?!"


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N** : Chapter 5 of _Resonance Drive_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my OCs. Valkyrie Drive belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

 _On the beach..._

I don't remember when I fell asleep last night but the shining rays of the sun weren't exactly the kindest thing I wanted to wake up to. Sitting up I noticed that I had a plaid jacket resting around my shoulders...and I was still naked saved for the underwear. The jacket provided warmth as I wore it correctly, buttoning up the buttons so that it covered my skin.

 _Must be Yeoul's jacket..._ I thought as I glanced at myself, remembering that the girl normally had the article of clothing tied around her waist. _Though I've never seen her actually wear it before..._

Grrrrrrrrrrrowl~

"Oh my..." It was then that I realized that Mamori was asleep nearby on a giant leaf, still dressed in her wedding gown and her stomach just unleashed the loudest growl I've ever heard.

"Mom, where is that second serving of rice-in-omelet?" The girl murmured dreamily before opening her eyes. "Where..." She blinked a couple of times before she remembered where she was and sat up abruptly. "Oh...right. We were camping out here..."

"Breakfast." announced Mirei which got our attention right away.

"Right on time! I'm star-" I said, turning around before realizing that I probably shouldn't have done that. Standing right there in front of us was Mirei and she...she wasn't wearing a shirt, so her breasts were completely exposed for all to see. Even Mamori was blubbering and spluttering at what she saw, her mouth opening and closing like a beached fish.

"Wha-wha-wha..." Mamori shrieked, closing her eyes immediately and waving her arms frantically in front of her face. "What sort of state of dress is that?!"

 _Jesus, those titties..._ I quickly slapped my hands over my eyes as the blood surged up to my face much to my horror. _Totally not something I would have wanted to see so early in the morning...somehow I feel so violated on the inside._

"Your breakfast, Miss." Mirei replied calmly, holding up a couple of fish with her bare hands. She obviously didn't really care if she was stark-naked saved for the black-laced underwear but she was proud of what she caught.

"Yeoul brought coconuts." That's when Yeoul dropped in with a bunch of coconuts in her arms. She gave Mirei one of those _I approve_ glances before sitting down crossed-legged with the coconuts right beside her.

"Oh, there you are Yeoul." I said as she prepared to crack the fruits open one at a time. She gave me a nod before slicing off the tops of the fruit with just her hand, throwing the unwanted parts over her shoulder.

"Thanks for the meal." Mamori said after she finished her share of the fish, much to Mirei's delight. The two of them had a small campfire going, impaling the fish onto wooden sticks and leaving them to roast over the fire. "It was delicious!"

"Fresh coconut juice!" The two of them turned to see that I was holding out the fruit to them. The tops have been broken off so that it was much easier to access the liquid inside. "Here you guys go!"

"Thank you!" Mamori said before taking a sip, her eyes lit up like the fourth of July. "Woow! It's sweet!"

"Mmhmm." Mirei agreed. After the meal we all got dressed and stared out towards the ocean. The sea breeze was nice but the day was still young and we had lots to do...or so we thought.

"So...now what?" I asked out of the blue. "We're just staring out at the ocean with no plan, no course of action and absolutely no help." Mamori was about to comment when the sound of vehicle tires screeching to a halt reached our ears. Thinking that it was some sort of sneak attack, Mirei gathered her up into her arms and took refuge behind some rocks. Yeoul did the same thing so the four of us were currently hiding, anticipating and waiting for some kind of noise.

"Time out, time out!" A voice called out to us and from our hiding places, we saw a vehicle parked in the middle of the road. The owner, a small girl wearing a pink cowboy hat was waving both arms in our direction with a grin on her face. "Hello!"

"Do you know her?" I asked when Yeoul's eyes widened a little in surprise.

"That girl helped Yeoul and Mirei out back at that town." Yeoul replied and after making sure that it was okay for us to reveal ourselves, we all piled into the truck and drove off, leaving the beach behind.

* * *

 _On the road..._

The delivery truck rumbled along the road at a steady pace. Mamori and Mirei sat up front with the driver while Yeoul and I sat in the back. It started off really awkward so most of us decided to just glance out of the windows at the passing trees.

"Thank you very much, um..." Mamori faltered a bit since she didn't get a name of the driver.

"Mei Fong." Mei Fong introduced herself with a smile. "Mei Fong Sakura. I run a jack-of-all-trades service on this island. Let me know if you need anything, I won't disappoint!"

"Oh! So you're almost like a middleman, right?" I asked, leaning over the seats.

"Something like that, sure!" Mei Fong grinned. "I heard you all ran away from Feste, but I didn't expect you to be camping out in the wild like that. A normal girl would be helpless and crying. You're tougher than you look."

"And you look a bit young, are you sure you're old enough to be driving?" I asked, rising an eyebrow at her.

"Hey hey, don't judge a girl by her stature." Mei Fong chastised me, making a tsk-tsk noise with her mouth. "Besides, you and I are in the same boat."

"What do you mean?" I questioned her.

"Well you know...short stature...and a flat chest..."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"

"Argh! Keep your paws off the wheel!"

"If I was alone, maybe I would have cried." Mamori admitted while I silently glared at Mei Fong. "But thanks to her..." She gave Mirei a smile though it looked as though the blonde was pouting just a little.

"Now that you mentioned it, I never heard your name." Mei Fong prompted.

"Mirei Shikishima." Mirei stated briskly.

"Age?"

"15."

"WHAT?!" Mei Fong exclaimed. "You're younger than me?! And with these breasts." Keeping one hand on the wheel, she reached over and groped the blonde while Mamori just watched with wide eyes.

"Yeoul's 15 too." The sleepy red-head commented from the back before falling asleep again, her sleep mask already placed over her eyes.

"AHHH! Pay attention to the road!" I yelled, feeling the vehicle slowly veer off to the side. "And keep your hands to yourself, you pervert!"

"My driving is superb thank you very much! Ouch!" Mei Fong winced when her hand was quickly slapped away.

"Why did you help us?" Mirei asked irritably.

"I was asked to." Mei Fong replied simply, putting both hands back on the wheel.

"By whom?"

"My clients remain anonymous." Feeling a tension between the two, Mamori decided to introduce herself. "Oh I know who you are. You're Mamori the Virgin."

"It's Tokonome. Mamori Tokonome." Mamori corrected her.

"I know, just playing with you. And you are?" She glanced through the rear-view mirror at me. "I realized that I never asked for your name."

"I'm Akane Sarutobi." I replied before jerking a finger at Yeoul. "And that's Yeoul Rangetsu."

"But seriously though," Mei Fong returned her attention back to Mamori, "your name is pretty special. Do people poke fun at you for that?"

"I would rather not talk about that." Mamori turned her head away with a huff. The driver laughed.

"Not surprised! It's spelled like 'Protect Virginity.' A good name for a chastity belt." At that statement Mamori started to cry, her face turning a bright red from embarrassment. "I'm just kidding! Don't cry!"

"Um..." I tapped her shoulder to get her attention. "She's probably not the only person you should be worried about at the moment."

"Guah! Don't be mad, it's scaring me!" Mei Fong yelped when she saw the menacing facial expression Mirei was pulling. If anything, the driver should be glad that Mamori was wedged between them otherwise the blonde would totally kill her. "Oh, we're close." Changing the subject finally got Mamori to stop crying.

"To what?"

"My customer." Mei Fong replied as she pulled up to the nearest building, putting the truck into park and turning off the engine. She then hopped out and started to unload what looked like a bunch of green boxes. From within the building, a bunch of young children came out to see what was going on. Most of them were girls and they all seemed to be around the ages 10 or 13.

"Merchandise?" I wondered with curiosity as Yeoul leaned against me, a soft snore could be heard from the sleeping red-head. "Where in the world did you get a hold of these things?"

"Books, clothes, underwear, medicine, cosmetics..." Mei Fong nodded her head as she counted her inventory. "Yup, looks like that's everything."

"Wow!"

"Pretty clothes!"

"Don't fight, now. You have to share." Mei Fong said as the girls rummaged through the items.

"Who are these people?" Mamori asked.

"Transfers to this island, like us." Mei Fong explained. "They didn't like how the Feste run things, so they live out here instead."

"The Feste?"

"Yeah, you mentioned that word twice when we were on the road." I looked at her with a confused look. "What exactly is this 'Feste'?"

"Are they the people that attacked us?" Mamori added.

"Welter. Sort of like..." Mei Fong thought about it for a minute before continuing. "...vigilantes for the castle. They make up rules and force them on others, saying it's to protect the lower ranks. Whenever someone gets too rowdy, the Welter punish or imprison her."

"But we've never done anything wrong." Mamori said, hinting at the fight against Saejima.

"Oh, that? That's Welter's way of testing the abilities of new transfers. If the newbie is strong, they invite them into Welter. If the newbie is weak, they force them to obey their rules, for 'protection'."

"And nobody complains?" Mirei asked.

"Welter controls the island's lifelines." Mei Fong replied almost with disgust. "The Feste has factories that produce food and goods, and Welter controls them. As long as you obey Welter...food, shelter, and clothing on this island is guaranteed. Nobody complains about that."

"But...those poor girls are being oppressed by the government." I mumbled.

"Those goods...you stole them didn't you?" Mirei said as she eyed the items.

"Correct."

"What?! Is that okay?!" Mamori asked. "When the Welter people find out, won't you get in trouble?"

"Oh, don't worry." Mei Fong said with confidence. "I only took a tiny fraction, not enough to cause trouble."

"Mei Fong!" A new voice caught our attention and we all glanced to see a woman bounding across the yard to greet the girl. Her brown or chestnut colored locks were tied up into a spiral bun and she immediately swept Mei Fong off her feet, pressing the young girl against her chest. "Thank you so much for the great presents, as always! I'm so grateful!"

"Miss Torino..." Mei Fong gasped as she struggled against the woman's breasts that was currently smothering her. "...you're suffocating me."

"Are you Mei Fong's friends?" The woman, known as Torino, asked when she noticed us standing not too far. She was clearly acting oblivious since she continued to squeeze Mei Fong to death. "I'm Torino Kazami, manager of this place. You can call me 'Big Sis'!"

"Uh, okay..." Mamori said as Mei Fong decided to give up and allowed herself to be suffocated. Torino smiled as she gazed at us with warm brown eyes.

"Welcome to Torino Town!" She led us to one of the larger buildings where everyone was already getting ready for dinner. To quit down the chatter, she stood up and clapped her hands. "Attention, everyone! Let's give a toast to Mei Fong, who brought us great gifts, and to her friends! Cheers!"

"Cheers!" The children replied, holding up their own cups in welcoming.

"Um...What's this about?" Mamori asked Mirei, her mind still trying to processing what had happened.

"I do not know." The blonde replied, causing Mamori to smile.

"But...it's relaxing."

* * *

 _After dinner..._

"Oh...I didn't realize what a wonderful thing it is to be able to bathe." Mamori said as she gracefully slipped into the water, allowing its warmth to draw her in. Torino led us to one of the baths within the town so that we could wash and shower without having the other girls walk-in on our privacy. She settled comfortably against the stones and let out a long sigh of relief, feeling the tension in her muscles starting to relax.

"Yahooooooooo!"

"Ack! Akane!" Mamori shielded herself as I just crashed into the water like a cannonball, spewing water into the air like a geyser. _But seriously though..._ She glanced over to where Mirei was currently washing her left shoulder, arm raised into the air as she carefully scrubbed away any remnants of dead skin and left her breast open for a full view. _Younger...Younger...Younger than me..._

"Hmm?" As if sensing someone watching her, Mirei lowered her arm and glanced in our direction with a confused expression. "Can I help you?"

 _Eek! She noticed!_ "Oh, no!" Mamori stammered quickly and looked elsewhere. "It's nothing."

"Yeah right." I teased her a bit when I resurfaced. "You're still jealous that Mirei is younger than you, amirite?"

"Mamori," Torino called as she walked down the stone steps, interrupting whatever Mamori planned to say. "I'm leaving your clothes here."

"Oh, thank you!"

"Ahhh, Yeoul you can't just fall asleep in the water." I frowned when I spotted her resting in the water not too far away, her body halfway submerged underneath the surface. "You're not a fish. You don't have gills."

"Mermaids don't have gills the last time Yeoul checked." Yeoul replied lazily. "Yeoul could be...a majestic mermaid on the inside."

 _Right...you could totally pass as Ariel from the Little Mermaid..._ I bit my tongue to keep that comment to myself. Once we finished washing and wrapped the towels around our bodies, we followed Torino into one of the available rooms where she had our outfits out and ready for us.

"Here we go." The village caretaker tightened the pink sash a bit before stepping back to admire her work. "Oh, how adorable! That looks great on you, don't you think?" She aimed that question at Mirei who happened to be blushing. Now that she was out of her suffocating dress, Mamori had on the standard uniform that Veste gives to their students with a pink bow tied at her collar. She also had on thigh-high white stockings and pink shoes.

"Y-Yes." The blonde stammered in response. She had turned down any new clothes that were offered to her and still opted for her white colored blouse and the plaid skirt. The necktie laid comfortably over the folded blazer on the nearby dresser.

"You can keep the clothes!" Torino said before letting out a squeal of pure joy.

"Are you sure?" Mamori asked as I looked at myself in a mirror. While I appreciated the cheongsam that I was wearing when I first arrived on the island, I felt that it was almost restricting in certain areas and it reminded me of events that I'd rather forget. So instead I changed into a comfortable T-shirt while keeping the bottoms the same.

"The wedding dress was pretty, but you can't wear it all the time, right?" Torino said.

"Thank you. It really helps." Mamori said with a smile.

"I brought the clothes, by the way." Mei Fong commented from the side, getting a quick thank you and a bow from the red-head as well. "By the way, you said you had no place to stay, right? Why don't you crash here?"

"We can do that?" I asked.

"You don't mind do you, Miss Torino?" Mei Fong asked.

"Of course not!" Torino agreed. "Big Sis welcomes you all."

"Thank you so very much." The four of us bowed in unison.

"Oh no, there's a hole in the jacket." I frowned, holding up Yeoul's plaid jacket to see a hole near the armpit area. "How in the world did this happen?" Yeoul approached me and I gave it to her so that she could analyze it. She still wore her tank top but like Mirei, she turned down the offer to receive new clothes.

"Here. Allow me to handle that." Yeoul glanced up to see Torino smiling with her arm outstretched. "I'll stitch it up in no time."

"Yeoul appreciates it." Yeoul bowed and gave the jacket to Torino.

"I'll be right back with a couple more items." The brown-haired woman said as Mei Fong followed her out, arms still folded behind her head in a nonchalant manner. "In the meantime, why don't you girls get ready for bed?" We did just that, rummaging around and moving things around for extra space. We even used the old wardrobe as a storage place for any extra cardboard boxes.

"It's great that we have a place to live now." Mamori said as we finally laid down to rest. Torino found extra blankets and pillows from another building so Yeoul and I decided to make a makeshift bed on the floor, the biggest and fluffiest blanket served as a mattress while the others were used as covers.

"Are you sure you wanna sleep on the floor?" Torino asked before she bid us good night.

"Mmhmm!" I replied while Yeoul gave her a thumbs up. "Not a problem. This blanket mattress feels like a huge fluffy cloud to be honest."

"Okay suit yourselves. Of course if you feel anything wrong please fulfill to let me know." Torino smiled as she turned off the lights. "Good night girls."

"Goodnight." We replied and the door closed behind the caretaker.

"Mirei..." Mamori turned over underneath the blankets so that she could see the blonde not too far from her. At the sound of her name, Mirei turned her head so that she could give Mamori her full attention. "I never had the chance to say this, but...thank you for saving me."

"It's okay."

"I want to ask you, though. Why did you go through such danger to save me?" Mamori asked, referring to the fight as well as when the blonde save her during the wedding. "We've only just met..."

"I..." Mirei shifted her gaze up to the ceiling in thought. Just looking at Mamori triggered another girl to flash through her mind. "I don't know either."

"Thank you for staying with me." Mamori said as she stared up at the ceiling too. "Oh, but please don't be rash. And try not to get into fights." She paused when she realized that the blonde wasn't responding, her eyes were closed. "She fell asleep." Glancing at her small cat-shaped clip, Mamori turned over and cried herself to sleep, wishing to return home soon to see her mother and father.

 _Poor Mamori..._ I thought as I listened to her sniffles turn into soft snores. _I hope to return home too...but where exactly is home for me?_ I remembered the looks I got from the people I was living with before being whisked away to this island. _Would they even care if I returned? Or would I be treated differently since they know I am a virus-carrier?  
_

"Are you still awake?" I turned to see Yeoul looking at me with a thoughtful expression.

"Yeah..." I mumbled. "Just thinking."

"Don't think too much." She replied and pulled me close, resting her chin against the top of my head. "Now is the time for rest."

"...yes." I whispered as I snuggled closer, feeling her warmth surround me like a cocoon before closing my eyes. _Thank you, Yeoul._

* * *

 _Warehouse 2..._

"Apologies, Commander. It's not much, but..." Back at Welter, one of the staff members in charge of merchandise created by the factories, contacted Kasumi and reported stolen items within the storage. This prompted the commander to immediately investigate the scene. Upon arrival, she noticed that a couple of other workers were assessing the damage if any.

"I will handle the rest." The blue-haired girl said simply once she grasped the situation. "Please do not tell anyone about this."

"Y-Yes...Understood." The girl replied, giving her superior a salute.

 _If only she would do it more discreetly._ Kasumi frowned as she walked away, the heels of her boots clicking lightly against the tile flooring.

"That report...I have not received it."

"Charlotte..." Kasumi said, surprised that the pink-haired girl showed up out of the blue. The two of them returned to headquarters where Charlotte continued to press the issue.

"The repeated cases of theft, why was I not told?"

"I decided that there was no need. The amount taken was very small." Kasumi answered her simply. "If I revealed this to the others, I thought it might cause unease."

"How lenient of you." Charlotte commented dryly. "An entire organization can crumble from the smallest mishaps. We must capture this criminal, and bring her to justice in front of all."

"We cannot be too harsh." Kasumi argued although she spotted a small smile that was starting to spread on Charlotte's face.

"We must show our watchers that we are capable of law and order. That is why we Welter exist." The pink-haired girl turned to gaze at her comrade with a knowing look. "Do you not yearn to leave this island?"

"I..."

"Miss Kasumi, I actually had my own sources investigating this serial theft incident."

"What?"

"That's why I had a tracker placed in goods that were at risk of being stolen." The pink-haired beauty reached in between her cleavage and pulled out a device. A hologram image popped up with a red 'X' located near the top. "Kasumi Shigure, Commander of Welter, I order you. Lead forces for the arrest of the thief beginning tomorrow at dawn. If the thief resists, you are authorized to use your Arm."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N** : Chapter 6 of _Resonance Drive_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Valkyrie Drive Mermaid belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

 _The next morning..._

The hum of a motorcycle engine flew through the air as the vehicle and its owner rumbled across the terrain in a leisurely manner. Using the handlebars, the owner of the beautiful vehicle guided her transportation to a point where she could lookout to the castle in the far distance, a smile plastered on her face.

"And now, for the first hit of the day..." The driver stated as she glanced at a small device in her hand that she pulled out from between her breast. A little hologram image popped up and after a few minutes the word 'Negative' flashed across the screen. She frowned a bit before looking off to the side in thought. "I wonder where it is...the black box of Mermaid."

Vroom~ Vroom~

"Mmhmm." She smirked as she put the device away and rubbed the motorcycle seat appreciatively, getting a subtle purr from the machine itself. Suddenly a noise caught her attention and she looked down to see what looked like a couple of war tanks rumbling by. "Is that..." She muttered and then a small smirk appeared on her face. "Let's get going."

Vroom~ As if in agreement, the motorcycle revved up its engine and zoomed away, trailing after the armored vehicles down below.

"Mmmmmmm!" Mamori grinned as she stretched her arms way over her head, hearing a satisfying pop before rolling her shoulders around.

"Ugh...what a horrible dream I had. My neck's killing me." Mei Fong commented sourly as she trumped down the stairs. "Oh, good morning."

"Good morning!" Mamori greeted her with a bright smile while Mirei merely nodded her head in return.

"Hey, who let a squirt like you handle the cooking?" Mei Fong teased, watching me stand on a stool with a chef's hat on my head and an apron tied around my waist. Yeoul slept with her head on the counter nearby, her mask over her eyes as usual.

"Don't you dare start this conversation in the morning." I snapped back, pointing the wooden spoon in her direction. "Otherwise no food for you. And besides I'm just helping out with the cooking."

"Yes yes. I got it, I got it." She replied meekly, holding up both hands in a 'I surrender' gesture. _Who got her panties in a twist?_

"Thanks so much, Akane-chan." Torino said as she waltzed in with a hum, her hair up in the messy bun like usual. "I'll take over from here."

"Did you sleep well?" Mamori asked me as I sat beside her. "I slept wonderfully."

"That's good!" I nodded my head before stifling a small yawn that threatened to escape. "Sleep is really important not only for the body but also for the mind."

"When did you become such a deep thinker?" Mei Fong chuckled before getting hit in the head by one of my slippers, falling off of her seat with a thump. "Oof!"

"Be lucky that I only threw my slipper since that's the only thing I have energy for." I frowned before retrieving my shoe. "Next time it wouldn't be such a soft object."

"Yes yes..." She mused before looking at the clock. "Well I'd love to stay and chat, but this girl has lots of errands to run and not much time to hang out."

"Mei Fong, are you headed out somewhere?" asked Mamori as the girl downed the rest of her breakfast and quickly rushed out the door. The other two followed her while I decided to stay inside to help Torino with dish washing. After I was done with that I excused myself to find the bathroom, nature calling at its finest.

"Yep, I'm going back to Feste." The cowgirl explained as she flashed them a smile. "I'm supposed to be a resident there anyway. See ya!"

"Something's coming." Mirei commented out of the blue, her eyes narrowed dangerously. At that, everyone stopped what they were doing and gazed off in the distance when the rumbling of engines reached their ears. Taking out a pair of binoculars Mei Fong detected the oncoming vehicles as the Welter armored cars.

"Wh-What are they doing here?" Panic flashed behind the younger girl's eyes as she quickly thought of some sort of escape plan.

"Coming after you?" Mirei frowned when she figured out what was happening, giving the girl an almost disappointed look. The residents of the town quickly dashed inside screaming in terror, causing Torino to put down what she was working on to take a peek outside.

"That can't be..." Mei Fong muttered before chuckling nervously. "If they find me here, it'll make everything worse." She quickly dashed to her truck and started the engine. "I'll be off. Take care of the rest for me!"

"Huh?! Mei Fong?!" Mamori called after her but the truck pulled out of the town just as the armored cars advanced forward. There was one brightly colored one and two darker colored cars as far as the residents could tell. The doors opened up and a bunch of soldiers filed out, one by one and the girl in the lead gazed at the seemingly empty buildings.

 _What's this sensation?_ I paused, gazing up in wonder before washing my hands. _Something's happening...outside?_ Drying my hands quickly I rushed down stairs to see everyone huddled in the same room and Yeoul was still in her sleeping state.

"We are Welter from Feste." Kasumi stated in a loud voice, knowing that we could all hear her. "We are aware that a thief who stole from our warehouse is hiding here. Please give yourself up. If you do not, we will resort to force."

"Let's see who will come out of their little hiding spot." Charlotte grinned as she watched from inside her comfy armored car.

"I'll say it again. If you do not turn yourself in, we will use force." At first there was no movement but then Mirei stepped out into the open much to Mamori's surprise, standing before them in a calm manner. "You're..."

"Mirei. Mirei Shikishima." Mirei introduced herself.

"Her again..." Charlotte frowned with a little bite to her voice.

"Miss Shikishima...did you do it?" Kasumi asked her. "Were you trying to sell stolen goods to these people?" She got an affirmative head nod from the blonde. "Then we Welter must arrest you as a criminal, and take you in."

"Mirei!" Mamori called out to her when the blonde walked towards the armored cars. "You can't go. Who knows what they'll do to you?!"

"Is she your accomplice?" Kasumi asked and Mirei shook her head no. Crying out to her, Mamori rushed out just as red tendrils soared through the air, wrapping themselves around the blonde.

"Who would have thought it was you!" Charlotte showed herself dressed in some sort of armored get up as her loyal servant Angel kept the blonde ensnared. "And if you are here...that means the other two kiddies are around here as well."

"Charlotte, please let me handle this!" Kasumi told her, afraid at what her comrade intended on doing by joining in on the fight.

"Absolutely not. This girl has shamed me twice." The pink-haired girl frowned before letting her eyes focus on her captured prey. "You will pay for resisting Welter!" Her nails grew really long and sharp, itching to dig themselves into the blonde's body and tear it apart.

"Mirei!" Mamori threw her arms around Mirei and refused to let go.

"Run!" The blonde ordered but she refused once more. "Hurry!"

"Why did you go alone, without telling me?" Mamori questioned, looking at Mirei with imploring eyes. "I asked you not to be rash!"

"What a cheap show." Charlotte commented as she watched the two of them.

"Mirei, you...you..." Mamori's body trembled and tears flowed out of her eyes as she glared at the blonde. "You...Mirei, you idiot!" Faster than anyone had anticipated, Mamori pressed her lips against the surprised blonde's. Gradually the familiar light around them shined bigger and brighter, indicating that a Drive was in progress. Once it died down, Mirei broke out of Ange's tendrils easily and pointed the sword at Charlotte.

"Heh! I've been waiting for this!" The pink-haired woman smiled before rushing at her opponent with her long nails. Without blinking Mirei lunged forward as well and the two of them clashed in a flurry of blows.

 _There!_ Mirei found her chance and in one swing, cleaved off Charlotte's nails on her right hand in a matter of minutes.

"W-What?!" Charlotte stared at her destroyed nails with inner fury. "My Arm, it should be capable of slashing through anything! Impossible!" She lunged at the blonde who was quick to answer and the two of them were running back at each other eager for round 2.

"Miss Charlotte!" Ange cried out in warning which prompted Kasumi to intervene, taking matters into her own hands. The Commander of Welter ran towards the two at such an astonishing speed that Mirei barely blocked at kick that was aimed solely at her. Skidding back she looked up just as Kasumi proceeded to attack once more, ducking low across the ground and lashed out in a back kick with her left foot.

 _She's...tough!_ "Ugh!" Mirei quickly used her left hand to block the attack that would most likely have been aimed at her jaw. However the blow was so powerful that it sent her skidding across the ground, losing her grip on Mamori. Once she came to a halt, the sword embedded itself into the ground not too far away before changing back into its human form. Letting out a gasp, Mamori collapsed on the ground right next to her exhausted.

"Impressive. As expected of the Commander." Charlotte praised, clapping her hands as she admired her comrade's battle strength without an Arm. "You definitely live up to your Zero Arm name, Kasumi Shigure."

"Turn yourselves in." Kasumi commanded sternly, ignoring Charlotte's words before adjusting her glasses back in its rightful place. "My patience is running thin as it is."

"Hold up! Time out!" The Welter forces looked up as Yeoul and I revealed ourselves, giving Mirei and Mamori a chance to recover. It didn't take long to rouse Yeoul from her sleep since she knew that something was not right and she looked ready to go. "This could be like, our daily dose of exercise! Quit hogging all the fun!"

"It's that little monkey!" Charlotte exclaimed and pointed a finger at me.

"Again with the monkey comment!" I snapped irritably, shaking my fist at her from where I was perched on my partner's back. "Quit making fun of my surname you glamorous scoundrel!"

 _G-G-Glamorous scoundrel!?_ "Awww, did I hurt the short munchkin's feelings?" Charlotte taunted after being insulted by me, knowing that her jeering words were getting underneath my skin. "How cruel of me!"

"You keep saying shit like that, you're gonna get punched." I retorted, embarrassed to admit that her words were getting on my nerves.

"Bring it!" She smirked and I lunged for her, causing the other foot soldiers to hurry to the girl's defense.

"Charlotte!" Kasumi frowned at her comrade's behavior before noticing that Yeoul was approaching at high speed, perhaps faster then herself. Gritting her teeth with annoyance, she engaged in battle and blocked a kick aimed straight for the head. Somersaulting back and landing in a crouch, the redhead rushed forward again with her hand pulled back.

"Commander, this isn't the time for you to negotiate with the enemy." Charlotte stated just as I knocked out some of her guards, smiling once she noticed that her broken nails from earlier had mended themselves. "Use force! It's already come to that!"

 _If that's how it's gonna be..._ "Fine!" Heeding her comrade's words, Kasumi lunged at the oncoming redhead with her own fist pulled back. The moment their punches collided a huge shock wave occurred that nearly blew everyone else off their feet. Yeoul narrowed her eyes with a pained expression before getting a kick to the underside of her jaw, her head snapping back.

"Ugh..." She skidded across the ground before coming to a halt, spitting out the dirt that got into her mouth.

"Get up." Kasumi ordered, cracking her knuckles loudly. "I'm not through with you yet." Narrowing her eyes in response, Yeoul stood up and charged once more.

"Haha!" Darting behind Charlotte after getting rid of her guards, I used a hand to swipe at her skirt and made it go up in one fluid motion. "Left your ass wide open!"

"Kyaa!" She yelped as she quickly covered herself, lashing out with a hind leg as I hopped away.

"Oh my, that was a cute 'Kyaa'." I teased, watching Charlotte's face turn bright red with embarrassment. "Who knew you would be wearing striped panties today...! Such bright colors too."

"You...You..." She glared at me angrily with tears in her eyes. "You damn little ape!"

"What did I tell you of losing your cool?!" Kasumi shouted as she slammed her knee into Yeoul's gut. The redhead grunted painfully before retaliating with a kick to the commander's jaw as payback. The two of them broke apart, glaring at each other warily. "Don't stoop down to your opponent's level!"

"I'm going to enjoy ripping your body to shreds!" Charlotte crowed as she avoided my punches and finally wrapped her fingers around both my fists, holding me in place. "But first...!" Tightening her hold, she exerted pressure into two loud cracks could be heard and I realized that she shattered my fingers right then and there. "Now, you won't be able to form fists anymore...How does it feel?"

"Arrgh!" I yelped and sank to my knees, cradling my injured hands against my chest. Distracted by my cry of pain, Yeoul avoided Kasumi all together and instead ran towards Charlotte with her silver eyes blazing with fury.

"Where do you think you're going?" The commander spat, anger level spiking around being ignored. Pouring energy into her own legs, she caught up and tackled her enemy down, sending the two of them crashing into the ground."No one gets away from me." She quickly pinned her arms with both knees and griped the girl's throat with her left hand.

"Rangetsu-san!" Mamori yelled and Mirei ran forward to help. Sensing the approaching blonde, Kasumi avoided a punch and lashed out by using her free right hand to wrap around Mirei's throat. The blonde's eyes widened with horror as she was held in place.

"Now you are both under my control." The commander whispered and slowly started to apply pressure as the girls struggled to get out of her iron grip.

"Y-Yeoul!" I choked out.

"You should be worrying about yourself." I looked up to see Charlotte towering over me, a malicious smile on her face. "It's time for you to die!"

"Akane-chan!" Mamori screamed, covering her eyes with both hands.

VROOM~ VROOM~ VROOM~

"What the-! Eek!" Charlotte stumbled back as a motorcycle rushed on the scene, knocking her backwards. Revving the engine once more the vehicle charged at Kasumi who released her two captives and dove out of the way. Not wasting any time, Yeoul rushed to my side and cradled me in her arms before looking up at the new arrivals.

"Why are you here?" Kasumi frowned when she and Charlotte regrouped, recognizing immediately who it was that came to our rescue. "Lady...Lady."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N** : Chapter 7 of _Resonance Drive_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Valkyrie Drive Mermaid belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

 _Outside..._

"I see..." Charlotte mused as she glared at the motorcycle and its rider with anger. "So here we have the truth. You were behind all of this, Lady Lady!"

"Hyaah!" Ange lunged forward, extending her tendrils towards the enemy. With tires squealing against the ground, the motorcycle spurred into action and destroyed the tendrils within minutes. Smirking, the blonde rider held on tight as the vehicle spun back into place and pieces of the tendrils floated to the ground limply.

"Ugh..." Charlotte's right hand girl gritted her teeth with frustration, kneeling down on one knee as she glared at the opponent with smoldering eyes. "Damn..."

"Miss Ange!" A couple of the soldiers rushed to the girl's side with concerned looks on their faces. "Are you okay?"

"Now now, don't jump to conclusions." The blonde rider spoke, her teasing eyes flashing behind her sunglasses.

"Then why are you here?" Charlotte asked her gruffly.

"Well, if I had to give a reason..." The blonde got off the vehicle and glanced over at the four of us with amusement. "These girls were intriguing. Right, J?" The vehicle slowly glowed and a woman appeared in its place, a woman with long purple hair that reached the middle of her back.

"Yes, Rain."

"Woah...that motorcycle just turned into a person..." I spoke quietly, feeling Yeoul's grip on me tighten. Suddenly a sharp pain rushed up from my hands and I squeezed my eyes shut. "Ouch!"

"Yeoul will get you treated right away." The red-head said as she lifted me off of the ground. "Hold on."

"No..." I shook my head as she walked back to the inn. "Let me stay...please..."

"You are in no condition to fight." She said gently. "Not with those hands..."

"Please..." I whispered, looking at her with huge eyes. "Let me at least watch how it ends...pretty please..."

"...fine." Yeoul released a sigh as she succumbed to my request. "But Yeoul is gonna rush you inside the moment when she feels that you're in danger."

"Thanks!" I said and we settled down to watch the confrontation.

"Rain Hasumi, Lady J..." Mei Feng mused from where she seek refuge outside of the village, watching the battle with her binoculars. "Not just Walter, but Lady Lady as well? It's like a Mermaid Power Players All Star...What's going on?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Eh?" Lowering her arms, the girl turned to see a figure standing behind her. A blush appeared on her cheeks when she recognized who it was. "M-My lord!"

"Lady Lady...Fools who act selfishly on Mermaid!" Charlotte commented, still bothered and upset that she wasn't getting things down her way. "Unless idiots like you start behaving, the watchers will declare us unfit to live in society!"

"What does she mean by 'unfit'?" I whispered under my breath. "Is there...something wrong with us?" Yeoul didn't respond with words but she did shrug her shoulders, meaning she had no clue what the pink-haired woman was spouting.

"Heh." The one known as Rain scoffed, humored by what Charlotte uttered. Even her partner J had on a smile on her lips " Oh they already declared that."

"That is why we must create an orderly way of living, to prove that even with our powers, we pose no threat." Kasumi added before narrowing her eyes dangerously. "Then the watchers will allow us to leave this island and return to our lives."

"That's just Walter logic." Rain stated confidently.

"It has nothing to do with us." J added almost in a bored tone. Usually she lets Rain do all the talking, preferring only to interject when she has questions or to make a witty remark.

"That's right." Rain smiled, loving how her partner gets straight to the point. "Besides, who know if the watchers really exist? Maybe you made all that up, to get the girls in Veste to listen to-" She paused as Mirei walked right between them, pushing them lightly to the side.

"Rambling on about nonsense..."

"You..." Rain mused as she watched the other blonde take the floor.

"Mirei..." Mamori said with worry.

"These women, I have only just met." Mirei said as she stood between the two new guests and the Walter forces. "I don't know them. Or any of the others. Everything is my doing and mine alone."

"But...Mirei..."

"Don't do it..." I whispered just as Yeoul stood up, leaving me to sit on the sidelines. "Wait a minute..."

"Yeoul won't let her go alone..." The red-haired girl spoke, taking a couple of steps forward before falling on all fours. Grimacing in pain, she then realized just how much damage she sustained during her fight with the blue-haired commander of Walter. "Curse these wounds..."

"Are you okay?!" I hurried to her side, looking at her with a concern expression. "Don't move too much, you might irritate your wounds even more."

"Miss Shikishima, was it?" Kasumi addressed, ignoring the rest of us entirely. "If that's the case, we need you to come to Veste for questioning..."

"I understand." Mirei agreed, not bothering to put up any resistance much to Charlotte's protest.

"Soft!" The pink-haired woman complained like a spoiled brat. "You're too soft, Kasumi! That girl, those munchkins, and Lady Lady, they are all enemies of us Walter! There is only one possible course of action!" She lifted an arm into the air as if she was about to give her decree. "Punishment to the disorderly!"

Soon other foot soldiers poured out from the armored cars and began making out with one another. They were really going at it, groping and grinding until those that were Arms, turned into weapons. Locked and loaded, the Liberators all pointed the guns in our direction.

"Take them all down!" Charlotte ordered firmly with a sneer on her face.

"Please, stop!" Mamori yelled and was about to run to Mirei's side but J held out a hand to stop her.

"You really are interesting." Rain said, drawing Mirei's attention away from the enemy; her eyes were twinkling mischievously behind her sunglasses. Smirking, she placed a hand on the blonde's cheek and pulled her into a kiss. Mirei's eyes widened in surprise, thrown off by the softness of the other woman's lips but didn't bother shoving her off.

"Wha...?" Mamori, bewildered and in shock, stood rooted with a blush on her face.

"Oh my..." I couldn't help but blush at the sight as well, feeling the heat crawl up my skin. "T-That...was unsuspected..."

"Hehehe!" Rain chuckled as she leaped into the air, her body glowed an orange-yellow hue before she transformed into her signature weapon: a powerful cross-shaped gun.

"Use her." J said, giving the dazed blonde her permission. She chuckled at the doubtful look Mirei gave her. "They won't die. There's no need to hold back." Nodding in understanding, Mirei pointed the weapon and began to charge up.

"No!" Kasumi shouted just as the first energy blast was fired. The green colored attack knocked a couple girls to the ground, unconscious and with torn clothing. She followed up with another blast to the other set of soldiers and it had similar results.

"...woah..." I whistled in awe, blown away by the raw power that came out of the gun. "It took only two blasts to knock all the foot soldiers out. She's powerful..."

"This power..." Charlotte uttered in disbelief after she and Kasumi assessed the situation. "Forcefully transforming out of Arm state."

"That's Rain's special move," J purred with a blush on her face, getting turned on just by watching her partner wreck the enemies. "Disarmament Buster."

"Special move? Don't be stupid!" Enraged, Charlotte lunged forward to attack. Gritting her teeth at the pink-haired woman's rash decisions, Kasumi had no choice but to back her up.

"Hmph." Taking initiative, J quickly transformed into her motorcycle form and revved the engine loudly. She was definitely eager for battle.

"She entered Drive, without her partner?!" Charlotte exclaimed in surprise. "Is that even possible?!"

"That's how strong the bond is..." Rain grinned, getting out of her weapon form and hopped on to the waiting vehicle. "...between J and I!" Rearing up, the rider used J's front wheel to intercept Charlotte's nails. The tire made a screeching noise as sparks flew before it destroyed the nails instantly.

"Argh!" The pink-haired girl backed up, looking at her broken armor with horror.

"Hyaaaaaa!" Using the motorcycle as a springboard, Kasumi went for Rain instead and pulled her leg back with the intend of delivering a devastating kick. However J was ready and quickly swiveled on her front wheel, catching the threat underneath the jaw with her back wheel. The attack took Kasumi by surprise as she landed in a crouch, scowling with frustration.

"You seem to favor surprise attacks, but it's no use, Kasumi Shigure." Rain noted as the girl wiped her mouth with the back of a hand, petting the motorcycle as thanks. "You can't hope to beat us without a weapon of your own."

"Without a partner." J mused as she changed back into her human form, leaning against Rain in a loving manner.

"Is she still running away from reality?" Rain continued, watching the blue-haired girl's reaction very carefully. "That girl...Hibiki Kenjo." At that name, Kasumi's eyes widened before she snarled at the duo with hatred.

"Don't mention that name!"

"Halt!" Another voice spoke and we all turned our heads to the speaker like a flock of flamingos.

"Well well. I never thought we would be able to see him in a place like this." Rain commented. "The leader of Walter, the Governor himself...Akira Hiiragi."

"Huh? Governor?" Mamori and I looked at the person in question. "That man?"

"Yeoul smells a trap."

"Huh?!" I looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"...Yeoul feels that Akane is too young to know..."

"Hey." I scowled at her, puffing my cheeks up in a pout. "I'm one year older than you...so I wanna know what you meant by that."

"...maybe later..."

"He's the only male in all of Mermaid..." Rain explained, keeping her eyes on the approaching figure. Akira suddenly unleashed a smile so radiant that Mamori blushed. The girls who were watching from the inside all squealed at seeing this new person and I for one, am not impressed.

"Governor." Kasumi spoke respectfully as she and Charlotte quickly welcomed their leader, though the latter quipped on the reason for his appearance.

"To tell you the truth." Akira explained. "The person who sole from Veste is not here anymore. I actually just met her moments ago. She did escape with a smokescreen though..." He shook his head with mild disappointment. "I must apologize. I shame the name of Walter's Governor."

"Is that so..." Kasumi said, nodding her head in understanding.

"But the tracker signal is coming from here!" Charlotte argued belligerently, unable to comprehend why she should take action on punishing those responsible. "Are we not at fault here?"

"The culprit sold the goods to these people. They are victims too." said Akira. He started to walk towards Mamori, keeping his voice fairly light and calming. "I'm sorry to have scared you."

"Oh, no..." She stammered, blushing even harder than usual as she stood up. She even dusted off her clothing in hopes of being more presentable. "Uh, um...Um..." She froze up as the man knelt before her, hand over his heart.

"I officially apologize as Walter's Governor. I'm sorry." He said, getting a lot of 'kyaa's' from fangirls.

"Uh, um, yes." Mamori replied, mentally kicking herself for how flustered she was acting.

"Please, keep the goods that you received. It is the least I can do." Getting another 'yes' from the terribly blushing girl, he stood back up to address Lady Lady. "So, with that said..."

"It seems to me that we missed the opportunity to fight, Lord Akira." Rain said.

"I must regretfully decline." Akira said, ignoring the skeptical look Mirei was giving him. "I don't like pain or unnecessary fighting."

 _Thank you..._ Torino nodded her head from the shadows when she locked eyes with the Governor.

"Walter!" Akira commanded, turning on his heels with an arm raised in the air. "Move out!"

"Yes sir!" Kasumi said before relaying the order once more. "Move out!"

"Governor!" Charlotte said as the foot soldiers all retreated into the armored cars.

"Charlotte!" Kasumi snapped with warning. "His orders are absolute." Swallowing her anger, the pink-haired woman begrudgingly followed and soon the armored cars pulled out of the village, kicking up dust as they did so.

"Heh, that was close, wasn't it?" Rain questioned playfully before dodging Mirei's fist when the blonde attempted to punch her. She frowned, staring at the girl who had a nasty blush on her face. "Woah, what's your problem?"

"You kissed me...!" was the seething reply.

"She really is interesting." J commented confidently, displaying her acrobatic skills by performing a front flip and changed into her Arm form.

"I like you." Rain stated as she got on her partner, throwing the flustered blonde a wink. "Mirei Shikishima, I will see you again."

"Lady Lady..." Mirei mused to herself as she watched the two speed away. "That power...Soldier-class..."

"Oh, at a time like this, have I finally met..." Mamori was off in her own wonderland, holding onto her face with both hands. "He could be, he must be...My true prince..."

* * *

 _In the room..._

I sat on the bed looking at my bandaged hands with a frown. After the battle Torino took care of my injuries, well she took care of all of our injuries to be honest. Releasing a sigh of annoyance, I leaned back and stared at the ceiling instead. Feeling fatigue, I covered my eyes with an arm and just...breathed. I didn't realize just how much energy I exerted through the battle

 _FLOMPH~!_

"Ah!" I yelped suddenly when Yeoul came in and crashed face-first on the mattress, launching me off the soft material like a missile; luckily I managed to not land on my hands because that would have hurt. Laughing a little I scrambled back on and peered at the sleeping girl with a thoughtful expression.

 _She fought really hard against that blue-haired girl...She's actually really strong without a partner._ I thought back to watching Kasumi use all sorts of martial art techniques without breaking a sweat. _I wonder...what did they mean by 'watchers' and 'unfit'...is it something we have?_ I placed one of my bandaged hands over my heart and pondered some more. _Is it the same reason that I...was put here? What do I have that's different from...from the others back at home...?_

"Yoohoo! I'm so glad you're all okay!" Mei Feng's voice disturbed my thoughts as it filtered through the door so I decided to let my partner rest. "That was too bad though...Who would have thought Walter would show up out of the blue!"

"It's your fault, Mei Feng!" One of the residents said. When I walked out, I noticed a few disappointed girls crowding around Mei Feng.

"I said I'm sorry!" Mei Feng said, holding her hat in front of her chest with both hands as she apologized to them. "I'll do better next time."

"We thought we were going to die!" Another spoke up, getting a couple of head nods in agreement. "What would have happened if we all died on the spot?"

"I know. Sorry about that!"

 _Looks like she's getting roasted over there...hehe, she'll be okay._ I smiled to myself and wondered around for a little bit. I sensed Mamori and Torino near the hot baths so I made my way over there. Peeking out from behind a rock, I spotted the two of them chatting pleasantly with one another. Sneaking closer I strained my ears to listen in.

"That boy?" Torino questioned as she and Mamori decided to simmer down in the baths.

"Yes. Miss Torino, do you know him...?"

"Of course I do." Torino smiled as a matter-of-fact. "He's famous."

"T-Then...can you tell me...a little more about him?" Mamori's voice dropped to a whisper that I almost didn't catch what she just requested.

"Well, let's see..." Giggling at how cute the girl was, Torino decided to humor her and give her everything she wanted to know. "His name is Akira Hiiragi. 174 cm tall, blood type A. He is the only boy on this entire island, and the most important person in that castle. I heard his power as a Liberator is great as well."

"Is that so...So, Liberatos are the ones who use the Arms, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

"I'm the one that becomes the Arm...the Extar...So..." Mamori sighed as she had this day-dream expression on her face. She could practically hear the wedding bells as she imagined herself asking Akira to make her his Arm and only Arm.

 _I think the heat from the water is messing with her head._ I sighed as I continued listening to the girl's squeals, judging on the sighs she released I could tell that it was one of those fairytale fantasies where they end up getting married. _Her love for that 'Akira Hiiragi' person is really strong..._

"Happily ever after..." The girl swooned, already lost in her fantasy.

"Mamori, do you like, want to become his Arm?" Torino questioned, that teasing smirk ever present on her face. "Is that what you're thinking?"

Eep! This is embarrassing! "Oh, no no!" She chuckled nervously, twiddling her fingers together. "I'm not worthy..."

"But you want to." Torino pressed with laughter. "That's cute."

"Does Mr. Hiiragi have, like, a girlfriend?"

"If he did, it would be chaos."

"He's everyone's idol."

"Is that so..."

"...Excuse me..." Getting up, Mirei left the two of them to chat and started walking back to the room. She was about halfway up the stairs when she noticed my hidden form among the rocks. Sneaking up she waited for a good minute or two before notifying me of her presence. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Wah!" I yelped, turning around to come face-to-face with the blonde. "Um...well I uh, was...on a walk."

"A...walk?" An eyebrow arched up as she looked at me with skepticism. "Are you sure?"

"...absolutely."

"I see. Well then, shall we get going? There's still time before bedtime so let's see what's going on for the evening." She offered, jerking her head back in the direction of the village. "Those two may be in there for a while longer...and I don't want to listen to anymore talks about that Governor."

"I hear that." Standing up, I flashed her a small smile. "Let's get going."

* * *

 _That night..._

"Governor, why do you allow Lady Lady to do as they please?" Kasumi asked out of curiosity. She was alone in Akira's room so she could have a private conversation with the man without any interruptions. Charlotte had retreated to her own room while the others that had been injured during the scuffle were sent to the infirmary. "They are astonishing."

"Indeed, they really are." Akira replied from where he sat on the couch, a cup of tea in his hand. "They are both Liberators and Extars at the same time. If we fought them head-on, Walter will take heavy damages as well. Also, to tell you the truth, I have hope for them."

"Hope...Sir?" Kasumi repeated.

"Yes. They are using a different method than us..." The red-haired man explained with a small smile on his face. "...to find a way off of this island."

"What...happened...here?"

"T-This is..." Mirei and I stood in the doorway to the bedroom, our mouths slightly opened and already dressed in our sleepwear. We ended up touring around the village once or twice before heading back and got ready for bed.

"Yeoul tried to tell her that this was a bit much." Yeoul grumbled from where she laid on the cot, her sleeping-mask slightly askew over her eyes. "But she didn't listen. Now Yeoul feels creep out..."

"Mei Feng got these for me, as an apology!" Mamori squealed as she looked at the countless posters of Akira hanging on every square inch of the walls. Literally, every square inch was covered by posters of Walter's Governor. "She really is a jack-of-all-trades!"

 _Oh dear God..._ I cringed on the inside as Mamori released a swooning noise. _Who knows what else Mei Feng is willing to bring back..._

"Now I get to be with Mr. Hiiragi, always!" Releasing a cheerful hum, she waltzed over to the dresser and proceeded to comb her hair. "Kyaa! It's must be a dream come true!"

"What a nightmare..." Mirei commented and I couldn't help but agree completely, I even patted her arm to let her know that I was totally on her side. I mean, I swear that every single pair eyes were watching my every move.

"Did you say something?" Mamori asked when she didn't catch the blonde's side comment, continuing to comb through her tangled locks. "I didn't hear that, could you repeat that?"

"No..." She mumbled, releasing an inward sigh of defeat. "I did not, ma'am."

"...shouldn't you tell her?" I whispered to her, keeping my voice low so Mamori wouldn't hear. "Aren't you worried that Akira might still her from you?"

"...It's okay." Mirei replied even though the expression in her eyes betrayed how she really felt. "She can do whatever she wants as long as it makes her happy. I shouldn't be the one to tell her what she can and cannot do."

"But..."

"Really...it's fine." She said it so sadly that I couldn't help but feel for her. "I can only hope that this phase of hers...would blow right on past..."

"So much happened today. I'm so tired." Mamori continued as if nothing happened, giving us all smiles. "Let's go to bed early."

"Yes..." Mirei agreed wholeheartedly with that statement and turned off the lights. I snuggled underneath the covers, keeping my hands on the outside so I wouldn't lay on them. Yeoul had one arm wrapped around me protectively and soon the two of us were already asleep. The single window was cracked upon so that the cool winds could waltz through, bringing with it the comfortable silence of the night.

"Oh, Mr. Hiiragi..." Soon Mamori was off, dreaming about her fantasies. Mirei couldn't sleep as quickly so she just glanced at the sleeping red-head for a few minutes. She remembered when Mamori was crying in her sleep and hoped to return to her parents but now, she was excited to be with her actual prince.

 _Sweet dreams._ The blonde thought before rolling over and closed her eyes.

"Another day gone by safely." Torino said to no one in particular, pouring herself a drink for the wonderful luck she's been having. Gazing out the window, she smiled and raised her glass to the moon. "It must not be easy for Akira."

"Miss...Miss Virgin, Miss Virgin..."

 _H-Huh? S-Someone's calling...me?_ "It's Tokonome..." Mamori mumbled out of habit, the corners of her mouth curling up into a smile when she realized who it was calling out to her.

"Oh, um, Miss Tokonome..."

"Yes, what is it..."

"Wake up, Miss Tokonome..." At this, Mamori's eyes fluttered open and she looked up to see Akira hovering over her with that dashing smile of his. "Oh, my prince..."

"This way, Miss Tokonome..." Walter's Governor floated over to the door, gave the daze girl a wink and walked right out.

"Please wait, my prince..." Making sure the rest of us were still asleep, Mamori quickly tip-toed after her love interest and disappeared into the night.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N** : Chapter 8 of _Resonance Drive_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Valkyrie Drive Mermaid belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

 _That night..._

Mamori followed Akari down the steps, keeping the red-haired prince in her sights at all times. She found herself standing outside in the open with nothing on except her pajamas. The cool winds swirled around her as her legs carried her into the depths of the jungle.

"Where did my prince go? Oh where did my prince go?"

"Over here, Miss Tokonome."

"Oh, my prince..." Spotting the red-haired individual standing in the middle of a dirt path, Mamori quickly walked over and they continued their walk. A couple of time she lost sight of her beloved and began calling as she ventured further and further in. "Where are you my prince? My prince?"

"Right here."

"You're...Mr. Hiiragi." Mamori said as she came face to face with the governor. "What are you doing here?"

"That's right. I came here because from the moment we met, I couldn't get you out of my head." Closing the distance he continued speaking, looking down at an already blushing Mamori. "I couldn't stop myself..."

"Really...?"

"Yes really." Akira nodded her head in agreement. "This frustration in my heart, it must be..." He wrapped his arms around the girl in surprise, nuzzling against her neck. "It must be love! Miss Virgin..."

"Eep!" Mamori squealed, both out of shock from the hug and the close contact with her beloved. "It's Tokonome."

"Sorry, Miss Tokonome." Hiiragi apologized quickly and tightened his grip on the girl's body. "I've wanted to do this for awhile now. I've wanted to hold you in my own arms."

"Ummm, uh, um..." The scent of the Governor was messing with her mind and she couldn't process one coherent thought. To be honest she felt like she was in heaven and she wanted it to stay the way it is.

"Not just hold you...I want to go even further than that."

"But, we've just met..." Mamori gently pushed him back, looking to the side with a dazed look. "I don't know how to feel about this..."

"Time is not important." Hiiragi told her and gently pushed the red-head to the ground, a hand gently placed behind the younger one's head. "It's okay, right?"

"But...But..."

"I'll take that as a yes." He smiled and leaned close to capture her lips.

"Hey! Mamori!" My voice cut through the air, stopping the two in their tracks. Hiiragi scowled as his lips were millimeters away from hers. "Where did you go? God it's so dark and this place is filthy."

"Akane?" Shaking her head from side to side while blinking her eyes, Mamori realized that her prince was no where to be found and I wondered out into the clearing clad in only a shirt and shorts. "Wait...where did Mr. Hiiragi go?"

"Huh?" I looked at her weirdly, cocking my head to the side. "Were you sleep walking or what?"

"I couldn't have...I saw him as clear as day."

"Are you so in love with that guy you're starting to hallucinate?"

"T-That's not it...!" She waved her arms with a terrible blush on her face. "Well...I mean..."

"Admit it, you have fallen head over heels for that guy." I teased her, resisting the urge to laugh. "Oh man, wait till I tell Mirei. Won't she be jealous!"

"God damn it...how dare you ruin the illusion." A voice growled from above, stopping us in our tracks. When we looked up we could see a girl sitting on a branch with her legs covered. "I almost had her in my clutches...! An Arm worthy of Miss Charlotte."

"An enemy?"

"I'm surprised you could see through my attacks though..." The girl smirked as she hopped down from the tree and stared us down. Based on her outfit alone we could tell she was from Wärter. "Not everyone can do that on the first try. You two are more special than you appear to be."

"Run Mamori!" I yelled and the two of us began running back to town.

"You can run but you can't hide." The girl chuckled as she watched us run, following behind but staying close to the shadows. "Little kiddies kiddies."

"Where did she come from?!" Mamori yelled as we burst through the fawns. "How did this happen?!"

"Who knows but lets just focus on getting back!" I replied and we just ran faster. After a few minutes I felt something was off and I came to a stop. The thud against my back told me that Mamori ran into me and she yelped, falling on her butt.

"What's the matter?"

"Doesn't this seem strange to you?" I gestured to our surrounding with a hand. "We've been running for awhile but I feel like we've been going about in circles!"

"Now that you mentioned it..." Mamori stood up and looked around herself. "These trees are starting to look familiar."

"You figured that out huh? Took you long enough." The hairs on the back of our necks stood up as the girl sauntered forward. "You two have been stuck within my realm from the very beginning."

"Run!"

"Not this time! I won't let you escape so easily!"

"Ahhh!"

"Mamori!' Skidding to a halt I watched as the girl was swarmed with what looked like mutant guys, her eyes widening in terror. "Mamori!"

"Looks like I missed one." The girl snickered and turned her full attention to me, holding her arms out to the side. "Well you won't get away from me. I have something especially special just for you!"

"Arrrrgh!" I braced myself as the Arm started to light up and she unleashed a multitude of florescent colored waves, the same kind of waves that affected Mamori. Struggling to stand the last thing I remember was my opponent's sneer before blacking out.

* * *

 _Illusion Realm..._

When I opened my eyes I found myself back where I lived before I was sent off to the island. The same town, the same smells and the same people. I recognized the neighbors and I recognized those who I went to school with but what's worse was that they didn't have faces. They were faceless and walking around as if controlled by some unknown force.

"Is this...even real?" I asked no one in particular and stood up. "Am I really...really back home?" Slapping my face a few times I took off running back to the home I've lived in with hopes that my parents would still be there. There were a couple of figures walking around but I completely ignored them, my eyes focused on getting back and my legs carrying me as fast as they could down the familiar roads.

Coming up to an intersection I turned to the right and ran across the dirt covered path, each step taking me closer and closer to the small village right on the edge of town. The houses were all barren looking and most of the windows were boarded up with planks of wood. Not really the ideal place to live but at least I had a roof over my head and food to eat, plus parents who loved me. As long as I had those essentials I was happy. My parent's home was the last one on the block and the neighborhood children called it the spooky house.

"Mom? Dad?" I opened the door to the house slowly and peeked inside. The hallways were empty and as I walked through the halls most of the rooms were vacant as well. The floorboards creaked as I checked every single room available. No one was home. Sensing that I would never find them inside the house I decided to make my way outside. Mother's botanic garden was always an eye catcher and I made it my sanctuary, a place comfortable for me to take shelter away from all my problems.

Turning the corner I spotted a person whose back was toward me. She had her hair up, a small cooking apron tied over her body and a garden hose in her hand. The rose bush she was watering was healthy and looked well after. To my knowledge I didn't remember when they got such a plant so I could only guess that it was after I had been sent to the island.

"M...Mom?" I tentatively called out to the woman. She tensed up at the sound of my voice but didn't stop watering her plants. "Mom...I'm home."

"Oh. So you've returned?" Her voice sounded defeated and dead, not really excited to greet me by any means. The water shut off and she placed the hose on the ground. Taking out a garden sheer she began to cut off any jutting branches. "I wish you gave me a heads up so I could've prepared better."

"Sorry about that, I didn't have anything to send. Where's Dad?" I asked, looking around for the man in question. "Isn't he always with you?"

"He's here." A small smile graced her lips and she pointed to the mound right next to her. It seemed like it had been dug a week ago. "I never left his side once."

"I-Is that...?"

"He's in a better place right now." My mother said before regarding me with cold eyes. "Lucky him right? He doesn't have to endure all this misfortune anymore."

"Wh-Wh-What are you talking about?" I asked nervously, feeling my heart beating rapidly in my chest. "M-Mom, you're scaring me."

"I guess...I wasn't blessed either. Raising you had been a curse for the both of us..." She held the sheer firmly in her fingers and continued speaking, keeping her eyes on me. "Sorry...seeing my husband's body hang silently from our bedroom ceiling fan...two days after you left." She pointed the tip to her temple, eyes firmly on me so I wouldn't look away. "I couldn't handle it. And now...seems to be the right time."

"No..." My hands trembled and I took a step forward. "No...NO DON'T!"

 _KSSSSSSSSSHK~_

I froze in place, right hand outstretched as my mother plunged the knife deep within her head. Time seemed to come to a stand still and the blood flowed out of her skull like a fountain. As her body began to fall her mouth moved to form the last words and my heart shattered into a thousand pieces.

 _I never really loved you._

* * *

 _Reality..._

"I'm sorry Mommy. I'm sorry Daddy." I muttered over and over, tears falling from my eyes. I didn't realize that everything around me had returned to normal but continued to wrap my arms around my own body for comfort. The image of my mother stabbing herself kept replaying over and over within my mind. "I'm sorry, for not being the child you wanted. I'm sorry."

"It looks like this one had a traumatic experience." The girl snickered as she approached my trembling form, a sinister glare upon her face. "I'm not sure what happened but if I can take care of her first then I will. The other one..." She looked over at Mamori who seemed to be having the time of her life. "She just needs to climax all by herself and Drive." She turned her attention back to me and raised a hand, preparing the death blow. "Nothing against you personally but...orders are orders."

"Stay away from her." A voice growled and Yeoul swooped in, her silver eyes ablaze with fighting spirit. Her sleep mask wasn't were it was, she had left it behind before flying out the door.

"Another one?!" The intruder backed up nervously, unsure how to proceed and decided to analyze her new opponent carefully.

"Akane. Akane." Yeoul quickly approached me and knelt by my side. Placing both hands on my shoulders she proceeded to shake vigorously. "Wake up, Akane."

"Is she okay?" Mirei asked. She had been sleeping before feeling the other rouse her, a look of concern on her face. When they realized that Mamori and I weren't in our usual places they rushed outside immediately and pinpointed our location. The blonde got to Mamori and forced her to transform, wielding the sword confidently.

"Mmmmm. She just needs a little more coaxing." Yeoul replied. "I'll get her."

"Why?! Why are the two of you here?!"

"I see no need to answer you." Mirei turned her attention to the attacker. "I'll make this quick."

"Wake up Akane." Yeoul whispered as she held my shivering form close, dragging her fingers through my hair. "It was nothing more than an illusion. You're okay. It was nothing more than emptiness. It wasn't real."

"It felt so real though." I murmured, throwing my around her neck and burying my face against her shirt. "It felt so real. My mother said she didn't love me. My father killed himself because of me." I looked up to her with such sadness that she only tightened her grip. "I don't...I don't even know if they remember me at all...of if they want to. I've been nothing but...but a burden."

"You're not a burden." She told me, running her fingers through my hair to calm me down. "You've been the greatest person I've met."

"R-Really?" I asked, wanting confirmation in her words. "Really and truly?"

"Mmhmm." She nodded, giving me a small smile. Putting me on the ground she made sure I was okay and out of harms way. "I'll go and help out, wait for me okay?"

"Okay." I replied, wiping my tears with the back of my hands. "B-But be careful!" She merely gave me a thumbs up, telling me not to worry.

"You two did take out Saejima upon your arrival, so it is impressive for me to appear before you." The girl said as the red-haired girl stood side by side with Mirei. "I don't expect anything less. However, my Arm is immune to brute force."

Strange waves of light erupted from the Arm, surrounding the two fighters as they watched for any movement.

"Down low." said Yeoul as large mutant guys appeared from the ground. The girls split up, tackling the enemies in a more efficient way in order to reach the mastermind. However no matter how many slashes or punches were dealt, the mutants seemed to patch themselves together and looked as good as new.

"Gaah!" Mirei yelped as she was slammed to the ground. When she tried to jump into the air to avoid getting overwhelmed, one of the mutants grabbed her leg to prevent her escape. With her arms pinned, her legs were forced open and a mouth was placed over hers. The sounds of clothes ripping reached her ears and her breasts were forcefully grabbed and fondled, causing a blush to crawl up her neck.

"Mirei!" Yeoul watched before jumping back, lashing out as one of the guys tried to get her in the same predicament. Taking off into a run she focused on the Wärter girl, curling her fingers into a fist. With a yell she smashed the ground with a punch, her enemy hopping out of the way at the last minute. _If I get rid of her then everything will go back to normal._

"I'm surprised you escaped my mental attacks." She replied, regarding her opponent carefully. "However the other one hasn't yet...she'll continue to rot away without even realizing what happened to her!"

"Mirei is capable." Yeoul replied with confidence, cracking her knuckles with satisfying pops. "You are underestimating her. That is your first mistake."

"Oho? How can you be so sure?" The girl asked. "You're putting so much faith in someone you barely know."

"Yeoul doesn't need to justify her reasons." She closed the distance between them, keeping her opponent jumping around on her toes. Keeping a good defense while delivering a good offense, she left no room for her opponent to land a solid attack.

"Tch!" The girl growled as she was pressured back, biting her lips with frustration. _She's an opponent I shouldn't have trifled with! What was I thinking?! Did Miss Charlotte know of this outcome?_

"You better watch your back. Left it wide open."

"Wha-?! ARGH!" Turning around the girl received a blow from Mirei, watching a part of her Arm get destroyed by one slash. "H-H-How?!"

"I've seen hell in real life...I don't need to go to the actual place." Mirei replied with a smile of her own. She had escaped her mental torment by biting her lip, a small trail of blood running down her chin.

"You...What did you..."

"I'm not telling you." With a scream the girl fell back on shooting beams from her Arm instead of the usual illusion beam. Taking a deep breath Mirei swung her sword in one quick movement, cutting the beams in half. As her opponent screamed in terror the blonde made quick work out of her. Once the Arm had been abolished, the two fighters tied up their defeated opponent and sent her back to Wärter with a note attached.

* * *

 _The next morning..._

"Mirei, time to wake up." Mamori said, shaking the blonde's shoulder. "Rise and shine, Mirei." When she didn't get a reaction, she placed her hands on her hips and tried again. "C'mon Mirei. How long are you going to stay like this?"

"Mmmmmmm~" A groan escaped the girl's lips and she blinked, looking at Mamori who sported a pout. "I'm sorry but last night took a lot out of me."

"You seem very scrupulous but you actually have a lazy side." Mamori commented getting another apology out of her partner. Smiling the red-head stretched her arms high over her head and whistled a happy tone. "Oh, I had such a good dream! It must be thanks to this poster! Hahaha..."

"...do you think we should tell her the truth?" I asked as Yeoul, Mirei and I just looked at Mamori with a range of expression. "I'm surprised she doesn't remember what happened..."

"Hmmm, no let's not tell her. I don't want to crush her spirits." Mirei smiled and sat up, shaking the sleepiness from her eyes. She wanted Mamori to be happy, even if she had to keep things hidden away.

"Come on, Mirei, time to get dressed." Mamori grinned, happy that her partner decided to get up. "We have to go help Miss Torino! She has a lot of chores waiting for us!"

"Yes, right away." was the response and the energetic girl disappeared downstairs to get her day started.

"If only Yeoul had half of Mamori's boundless energy." Yeoul dragged herself out of bed, stood up and yawned loudly. Rummaging around the drawers she threw on what she deemed appropriate and shuffled out the door to greet Torino downstairs.

"Shall we get going too?" I asked just as Mirei changed clothes. "It'd be bad if we were to be late huh?"

"Yes."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N** : Chapter 9 of _Resonance Drive_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Valkyrie Drive Mermaid belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

 _In the forest..._

"This little mushroom is a little mushroom boy!" Mamori sang as she walked alongside Mirei. They were tasked with gathering some mushrooms on Torino's request, hence the song. "Come out, come out, little mushroom boy~ This little mushroom is a little mushroom boy~!"

"What kind of song is that?" I asked, hands folded behind my head. I ended up going with them because three was better than two...just kidding I tagged along because I would've been bored out of my mind. "I've never heard of it before."

"Oh! You must be thinking, 'Mushrooms don't come walking out on their own, why bother calling out?' right?" She looked at me first then turned her attention to Mirei. The blonde had been silent the entire way with nothing more than a smile on her face.

"Um, not really." The blonde replied.

"Did you know? It's important to sing in a forest in order to ward off bears." Mamori stated as a matter-of-fact, taking up an air of an instructor to a student. "By singing and alerting your presence to the bears, the bears will avoid humans..."

 _Rustle~ Rustle~ Rustle~_

"Kyaaa!" She screamed and Mirei quickly put her body in front, keeping her eyes on the rustling bushes while pulling Mamori close to her.

"Huh? What are you doing here?" Shigure asked when she stepped out, clearly surprised to see us. "I thought this area would be empty."

"Hey Mamori, what happened to your singing? Looks like one of the bears didn't avoid us..." I remarked, noting a throbbing vein appearing on the commander's forehead. Ignoring her question Mirei got into an attack position, watching her foe carefully but it seemed like the blue-haired girl wasn't in the mood to fight.

"A word of warning, get out of this area. Warn the other girls at Miss Kazami's place to stay away from..." Whatever she was about to say was cut short when another sound interrupted her. "This is...?"

"What's that?" Mamori looked around as the ground began to tremble. We glanced around before noticing this towering figure. It looked like a girl...a really really giant girl.

"H-Hey...what's that?" I asked as huge drops of liquid fell from the air, making a giant puddle on the ground. "Rain? There's barely enough clouds in the sky as it is.."

"Miss...Miss Kasumi!" Finally the giant spoke however the loud voice made all of our eardrums hurt so we had our hands over our ears. Not only that she was crying and because of all the sniffling and whatnot it left a sharp ring in the aftermath. "Waaaaah!"

"Aren't you...Miss Minimi?" Shigure blinked, remembering looking at the girl's profile back at the center.

"Yes, I'm Nimi Minimi." The girl introduced herself, no longer crying and gazed at us with her huge eyes. "Pleasure to meet you all."

"Do you know her?" asked Mamori, looking at Shigure as she said so.

"Yeah, she's one of a pair of transfers who arrived a little earlier than you." replied the commander. "Not many people arrive as a pair, so I remember her well. In fact you three...and the other one...are also rare because it's the first time people arrived as quadruplets."

"Why the hell is she so...big?" I asked, gesturing to Minimi with both arms. "She's like gargantuan sized!"

"Who knows but maybe if we talked to her..." The commander stepped forward to address the giant. "Miss Minimi, what happened?"

"Yes, let me explain from the beginning..." Minimi told us about another girl named Noe and that both her and this Noe were softball teammates before being sent to the island. They made a great pair and were inseparable until the government stepped in. "They found out that we were carriers of the Armed-virus and we were transferred immediately. I was sad at first but when I'm with Noe then everything felt okay. The other day, we became together, body and soul."

"Body, and..."

"Soul..."

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" I looked at both Mamori and Mirei, their cheeks red like tomatoes. "Gutter minds all of you."

"But...But I didn't Drive!" Minimi let out a huge sniffle before continuing, her eyes welling up with fresh tears. "Even though I became one with Noe, my powers wouldn't activate."

"Ehhh?! But you're huge!" I exclaimed. "How is that not your power?!"

"Miss Charlotte said that we would have to wed another person, so I wouldn't be with Noe. We tried to get out of it but she said there was no other way. Because I couldn't activate the power we had to change partners. She said it was an order so I didn't know what to do..."

"Ahhh, that damn matchmaker again. Seriously you need to keep a tighter leash on her." I shot Shigure a look to which she glared back. "She's too nosy for her own good."

"I ran from the castle last night, and when I woke up, I was like this." More giant tears fell from her eyes. "What should I do?"

"First you're gonna put on some damn clothes, then we'll figure out how to get you back with Noe." I said with confidence. "Dry your tears, we don't need a flood."

"Y-Yes! Oh thank you so much!"

"Too close too close! Don't press your boobs up like that...!" I blushed when she bent down, giving us a very nice view of her breasts. This just went form uncomfortable to unacceptable. "Lets see if Torino can help us out."

* * *

 _Back in town..._

"Mei Fong, do you think the girls who went out to look for mushrooms are okay?" Torino asked, approaching a wooden bench where the cowgirl was napping on. Next to her Yeoul also decided to sleep in the open, her scarlet hair tumbling down the back as she lazily lounged about. She awoke when she heard Torino's voice.

"There's no need to worry, Mirei's there." Mei Fong replied, waving an arm dismissively with her hat over her face to block the sun. "She's strong enough and Akane can take care of herself."

"But..."

"Who knows? Maybe they'll hunt themselves some real big game." She let out a hoot, kicking her feet up into the air with glee. "Ha! What kind of big game do you get in a mushroom hunt!"

"That." Yeoul said and the three of them looked to see Minimi's head peeking over the house which provided cover for her nudity. The other girls, drawn by the trembling of the ground, rushed out to see what all the commotion was all about.

"What is going on?! Why is there a giant girl in town?!" Mei Fong huffed, getting over her shock and adjusted her hat back on her head.

"We're home!" Mamori called from where she and Mirei were sitting on one shoulder, her arm waving in greeting. Shigure and I were sitting on the other. "Heeeeey!"

"H-Hello..." Minimi said nervously, looking at all the girls who stood before her.

"Wow, that sure is big game." Mei Fong replied.

"She isn't for eating!" I laughed out loud. "Torino-san, do you have any clothes that might fit her?" After giving everyone the rundown as they crowded about, they seemed more comfortable with the giant.

"So that's what happened. Then if that's the case, she can stay with me for a bit." Torino said as she looked at Minimi while having a chat with Shigure. "It's no trouble really. This place is for any girl who can't or doesn't want to be in the castle."

"Torino-saaaaaaaaan!" I drawled out. "Where are the clothes? How long must Minimi show off her nudity like this?!"

"Yes yes, I'll get on it. Miss Nimi?"

"Yes?" Minimi blinked and focused on the caretaker.

"My name is Torino Kazami, I'm the manager here. You can call me Big Sis."

Even though the real big sis could possibly be Minimi...I thought to myself before following Torino as she went inside to find something Minimi could wear. While it's pretty to see Minimi's soft and smooth skin, it would be wise to not let her get sick and we didn't want a sick giant.

"Where did you find this...?" Shigure asked when we found a really large piece of cloth and laid it out flat on the ground.

"That's..." Torino turned to look at Mei Fong who caught her eye.

 _Nope no no no!_ Mei Fong made an 'X' with her arms and shook her head, refusing to let Torino spill the secret. _Don't you dare tell her!_

"Have we met?" Shigure asked, looking at Mei Fong with interest.

"W-W-What?! Of course not, you must be mistaken!" She spluttered, scratching the back of her head nervously. "I'm a natural-born lone wolf, I don't know anyone in the castle!"

"Now now, let's get those clothes taken care off." Grabbing a long wooden stick and dabbing the tip in ink she began to draw the pieces. Taking a step back we noticed that what she drew was pieces to a bikini. "Alright! Time to cut. You two, you're up!"

"Huh? Us?" Mamori asked.

"Come on now, get on with the smoochy-woochy." Mei Fong stated bluntly while some of the other girls cheered them on. Seeing them act that way made Mamori feel slightly uncomfortable.

"I mean, it's okay if they don't do it right?" I spoke up, looking at the cloth with a thoughtful glance. "Don't you have scissors or something?"

"Only one pair but it's small and very inefficient." Torino said, making a tsk-tsk noise with her tongue. "With those two Mamori-can can easily cut it in no time."

"I see..." I patted her on the back with a sad smile upon my face. "Sorry...I tried..."

"It's okay." Mamori assured me. "It just can't be helped."

"If it makes you feel any better, just do it for Minimi."

"But everyone's watching..." Mamori twiddled her fingers but noticed Mirei smiling at her. She immediately turned her head, blushing as red as her hair. "Eep." Feeling a pair of hands on her shoulders she looked to see Yeoul watching her with a neutral gaze.

"It'll be over quick." The silver-eyed girl spoke, spinning Mamori around and giving her a small push. The small girl let out a small 'oof' when she face-planted into Mirei's chest, making a small mental note of how soft they were. "Go on now."

"I'm sorry." Mamori spoke before Mirei went in for the kiss, not at all bashful of displaying affection in public. A little tongue action here, some breast grabbing there and the red-head turned into her weapon form. I won't lie every single girl present had huge blushes on their faces...including my own.

"Just get on with it!" I hide my embarrassed face, no doubt feeling the heat crawl all over. Once the pieces were cut we all tied it together with elastic strings and the product was finished. Slipping it on we realized that it could barely contain Minimi's assets but she didn't seem to mind it at all.

"Thank you!" She said, loving the new clothes. "It's a little risque, but..."

"Yeoul thinks that that thin piece of cloth puts a G-string to shame." Yeoul said with a huff. "Unfortunate we don't have enough fabric to make a decent outfit."

"But what a view, eh?" Mei Fang commented, raising her hand with interest. "I wonder what her bra size would be."

"Perverted old man."

"Shut it!" She whirled on Yeoul and I as we commented on her behavior with an angry glare. "I don't want to hear that coming from either of you!"

 _GRRRRRRRRRROWLLLLLLL~_

"I'm sorry, I haven't eaten anything since I left the castle yesterday..." Minimi apologized with embarrassment. Feeling her spirits rise to the challenge Torino got to work, making as much as 6 barrels loaded with her infamous curry. The giant leaned back, patting her stomach with glee. "Aaaaah~ Thank you for the meal!"

"Wow, watching her eat made me hungry." Mei Fong chuckled while I stated the complete opposite, feeling like my appetite had been lost. "Miss Torino, can you make lunch?"

"Actually, I used up all of our ingredients making the giant curry..." She apologized. "We'll have to go out and get some more supplies."

"Um, everyone!" The ground shook as Minimi bowed before us, looking at us with huge eyes. "I'll repay you with work!"

"What did I say about bending down like that?!" I shouted up at her while the others watched her breast jiggle, unsure of what to say. "You're giving us a full view of your boobs! How can we pay attention to your words?!"

"Sorry! But please, let me make up for the curry!"

* * *

 _At the beach..._

"Man, how long has she been down there?" I asked, sitting next to Yeoul as we watched the waves come up the sandbar. Torino and the girls were busy frolicking about, either splashing each other with water, playing sand volleyball or just laying around getting a tan.

"I'd say an hour or so."

"Oh! There she is!" I pointed as Minimi rose from the sea. In her hands she held the bottom piece of her bikini, which she used as a make-shift net for the fish. Yeoul and Mirei went to collect some wood while I stayed to make a fire. Every girl had enough to have more than 6 pieces, leaving nothing left but bones on sticks.

"Oh, that was great!" Mamori commented with a smile. "Thanks for the meal!"

"You're welcome!" Torino clapped her hands with happiness. "Glad you liked it!"

"You too Nimi! Thanks for catching all those fish for us!"

"It's the least I could do!" Minimi replied. She had put her clothes back on and watched us eat with a smile on her face. "After all you guys had been so good to me!"

"You know, we're at the beach. If we had swimsuits, we could swim." Mamori suggested, looking out towards the ocean. It was a beautiful day after all and the weather was nice and warm. That's when Mei Fong appeared selling swimsuits to the girls.

"Cheapskate."

"Do you want to swim or not?!" She snapped at me, knowing full well that I too wanted to join in on the fun. Muttering under my breath I decided, 'Why the hell not' and succumbed to peer pressure. Besides the price wasn't that bad since she gave us really good discounts that still gave her profit.

"How does this look? Does it look okay?"

"Too tight."

"Big Sis' isn't tight at all~ Ohohoho!"

"Yeoul would like to change to something better."

"C'mon! Let's go and play!" Laughing with happiness we all ran to the ocean and got in. Minimi herself flopped into the water, causing really big waves that covered our heads. Because of her giant size we all scrambled on top of her and either jumped off doing tricks or sunbathed.

"Wheee~"

"Tallyho!" Mamori and I slide down Minimi's back, utilizing her curvaceous figure as a slide. We landed in the water with a splash, resurfacing to share a good laugh.

"How relaxed they are." Shigure commented as she watched everyone play. As the commander she didn't want to lose face so she opted out of changing her uniform. _But why did Miss Minimi turn out like this? Could it be a mutation of the Armed-virus? Or could it be an issue with her partner Liberator?_

"Watch out!"

"Gah!" She yelped when she got a volleyball to the face and fell back against the sand with a grunt. "Ouch..."

"Oops." Mamori gasped while I guffawed with laughter. "I'm sorry! Are you okay?!"

"Gahahaha! Bullseye! What a lucky shot!" I held myself upright but I was wrecked by another fit of laughter. "Oh man I can't stop laughing! Ahaha!"

"Can you at least be..." The commander grabbed the ball, curling her fingers and tossed it high into the air. "...just a little concerned?!" Jumping into the air she swung her arm to spike the poor object. It hurled straight for Mamori who was pulled out of the way by Mirei so it ended up hitting Mei Fong in the face. She let out a squeak before falling back into the water.

"Why did you have to hit it so hard?" The girl groaned, her entire face red as the ball rolled away into the waves.

"Oho? So the commander does know how to play?" I smirked as Yeoul returned with the ball in her hands. "Well? Wanna go a round?"

"...are you two...challenging me? Is that really a wise choice?"

"Yeoul promises this will be fun."

* * *

 _Night time..._

"Noe Oya...Nimi Minimi's Liberator." Shigure looked at the info with interest. When she returned back to Walter, she had so much fun at the beach she couldn't keep her lips from curling up into a smile. However she kept stoic and continued reading, "Turned down new wedding and sent to detention cell..." She looked down with annoyance. "Charlotte, always stepping over the line!"

"Ugh, that commander didn't hold back..." I groaned with pain as I laid in the cot. My limbs were aching all over from returning Shigure's attacks. Suddenly I opened my eyes and winced. "Of all the times...I gotta go to pee..." Turning my head while holding back cries of pain I whispered Yeoul's name.

"Mmmmm?" came the sleepy reply and a silver eye opened to look at me. She didn't hurt as much since she returned volley most of the time. "What's wrong?"

"I need to go...and I can't really move..."

"Yeoul will help you." Shuffling around the blankets, she slipped out and walked over to my side of the bed. Snaking one arm under my legs and the other under my back she lifted me up and proceeded to walk towards the door.

"What's that...?" I asked, hearing what sounded like small whimpers outside the window. We looked out to see Minimi curled into a ball, crying in her sleep.

"Noe...I...I..." She whispered over and over before falling asleep.

"Minimi..." My heart broke for her and I turned to see that Yeoul was thinking the same thing. We had to get Minimi back with her Liberator and that means we have to infiltrate Walter.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N** : Chapter 10 of _Resonance Drive_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Mermaid Valkyrie Drive belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

 _The next morning..._

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Urgh!" I fell off the side of the futon in alarm as a cry pierced the would be silent morning. The others had sat up as well, roused by the sudden noise. "What's going on?! Who's hurt?! Why the hell am I up so early...I'm so sleepy...And I fell on the floor...oh hell..."

"Yeoul believes someone's crying." Yeoul rubbed the sleep from her eyes before releasing a huge yawn. Her metabolism must be really low...that or she's just lazy when there's nothing interesting going on. "That or it's a bad siren. But now it's hard to fall back asleep if the noise doesn't cease."

"It definitely sounds like Minimi. What if she's in trouble? We need to go!" Throwing the covers off we all dressed and rushed out. We were greeted by the giant herself and she definitely grew a lot.

"You know they say sleep brings up a child well but this is too much." Mei Fong noted as we looked up at the poor girl. She couldn't help but laugh at what she said. "Who knew it was actually true!"

"Mei Fong, we should be more concerned for her condition." Mamori said with worry. "We can't let her keep growing like this because at this rate, we'd have no idea how to revert her back to normal size."

"I...I..." Minimi peeked at us from between her fingers, tears dripping down her face. "I'm going to keep getting bigger! And..." She went on to tell us about getting attacked by the government, bombarded by the airplanes and the tanks. A string of whimpers escaped her lips as she continued to worry about it. "I'll never be able to see Noe again."

"Well...apart from how that imagination may not happen..." I sweat-dropped in response, scratching the back of my head with a hand. "You growing at an exponential rate is quite...well abnormal. If you keep growing than you'll be a really huge giant!"

"Nimi, you idiot! If you want to see her so much, you should go see her!" Mamori snapped at her. It was uncharacteristic for someone as nice as Mamori to snap. "You gotta summon all your courage!"

"But I've gotten so big...I don't know what to say..."

"You can think about that when you see her! Think about that when you're on the run too!" Mamori told her with confidence. "Noe is on this island with you. Just go and see her! Let it out and tell her how you feel!"

"Go...and let it out?" We all nodded our heads and she rose to her full height, the fire blazing within her eyes. "I understand! I can't keep running away! I'm going to go see Noe and I'll tell her exactly what I want to tell her!"

"Go for it!" Mamori shouted up to her. Turning on her heels and getting used to her new size Minimi ran off, cutting through the jungle and headed towards Walter.

"Umm...This might be a little late but...do you think it was right to send her back to the castle?" I spoke up as we watched Minimi run off. "Cause you know...Minimi being a giant and all...and naked on top of that. I mean if I saw a giant naked thing running at me like that..."

"Oh no, you're right! Come back, Nimi!" Mamori yelled after her. "Shoot, I don't think she can hear me!"

"Of course not! Hop on, we'll catch her by car!" Mei Fong shouted as she got the engine running. What am I doing?! I can't go back to the castle!

"Yeoul!" I hopped onto her back as she took a position much like how a runner does at the starting blocks, holding on tight to her shoulder. "Can you catch up to her?"

"No problem." The red-head spoke, her sleeping mask laying on top so her eyes could see.

"Then we'll see you guys there."

"Wait, take these." Torino held out some ear plugs, a worried look on her face. "They may come in handy."

"Thank you, Miss Torino!" I said, placing a pair in my ears before giving the other pair to Yeoul who placed hers in as well. "Then we're going!" Tapping my partner on the shoulder we took off. The jungle was a blur before we came across Minimi.

"Here we go." Bunching her legs Yeoul jumped and held onto the left leg, digging her fingers into the calf. Beginning to climb up the leg was hell but as we looked up, we couldn't see past the butt cheeks which were enormous now that we were up close and personal. Slowly making our way up it wasn't until we were halfway up her back when she felt something crawl up her body.

"Kyaa~ What is that? A bug?" She came to a stop and frowned, one hand held and ready to smack the offending critter. "Eww! Get off get off!"

"Hand incoming!" I screamed and Yeoul grabbed onto the appendage as it came close. Once it started to move, her eyes narrowed as she held on so we wouldn't plummet to our deaths. "Hrrrrgh! Hold on tight!"

"Oh it's just you two!" Minimi held her hand up so we were at eye level. "Are you accompanying me?"

"Of course!" I smiled with certainty as we sat in the middle of her palm. We were so high in the air that I didn't want to look down to see exactly how far. "We won't let you go in alone!"

* * *

 _Within the castle..._

 _BEEP~ BEEP~ BEEP~_

"Hmm? Kasumi here." The commander pulled up a screen when she got a notification. She was on her daily patrol so it surprised to her to get a call. "What's wrong?"

"C-C-Commander!" The operator wailed with panic. "A giant! A giant is heading our way!"

"Huh?" She blinked before the sounds of girls screaming caught her attention. Jumping over the railings she hopped into a vehicle and drove her way to the entrance. Once she passed through she could see Minimi running towards her.

"Eh? Isn't that the commander?" I asked when I spotted the little vehicle parked near the entrance. "I wonder what she plans to do..."

 _She's bigger than she was yesterday!_ Kasumi looked shocked at the approaching threat. _This is bad, if she charges into the castle like that..._

"Yeoul thinks there's one way and it isn't pretty."

"I'm sorry, Miss Minimi!" Flooring the gas, the vehicle roared to life and went towards the giant. Driving off course the commander tumbled out and the vehicle collided with Minimi's right shin. It exploded upon impact but that little maneuver caused her to lose balance.

"Waaah!" She cried out, her body glowing pink for a split second and her body grew a little more.

"She got bigger! Brace for impact!" I held on tight as Minimi flew across the walls and threw up a cloud of smoke when she landed.

"What on earth is going on?!" Charlotte ordered as she ran outside, unable to see through the smoke. When it cleared she was greeted by what looked like a nipple. Unsure of what to say she reached out and poked it with a finger.

"Kyaa~" A voice responded but in return the pink-haired girl got smacked in the face by the breast. "That tickled!"

"WAAAAAAAH!" Charlotte screamed when she came face to face with Minimi's teary eyes. Never in her life would she laid eyes on a giant. "What the-?! How'd you-?!"

"Umm...Uhh..."

"I don't know how you're doing it but I understand that you're going through a lot of trouble to get back at me!" Charlotte's personal guards rushed out, their guns trained on the threat.

"Wow, you couldn't have been anymore wrong!" I laughed, perched on Minimi's left shoulder while Yeoul occupied the right. "Your guessing is as worse as your wedding matching skills! Which by the way home many were successful since the last time we've been here? Zero right?"

"You...You!" Charlotte trembled with rage as she pointed a finger at me. "You damn monkey! How dare you show yourself back on my turf!"

"Nyah~ Nyah~" I turned around, my backside facing her and spanked my own rear tauntingly. "What's up matchmaker? You're uglier than the last time we've met! Ha!"

"I will crush you personally!" Snapping her fingers she began to make out with a numerous amount of her female guards. With yells of pleasure a pink light enveloped her, revealing a new set of Arms. The smirking woman grinned at us. "I hope you're ready."

"Umm..this isn't going well..." Minimi whispered to me. "I was hoping we didn't have to fight but..."

"Just do what you do best!" I grinned, holding my thumbs up with confidence. "You big crybaby!"

"B-But..."

"Yeoul came prepared, you have nothing to worry about." Yeoul pointed to her ears, indicating the earplugs that were in. "Akane has them too."

"So throw a huge tantrum!" I hopped off and prepared to fight Charlotte. "You came here to find Noe and so you should let her know! Meanwhile, Yeoul and I will clean up things here!"

"O-O-Okay!" She took a deep breath and hollered at the top of her lungs. "NOE!"

* * *

 _In a jail cell..._

"NOE!"

"Nimi?" A girl looked up with a confused look when she heard her name being called. She had been sitting on the cot with no idea of how much time had passed but the vibrations of the wall alerted her to the sound of fighting that was happening above her head. "What's going on? Ugh, all these noises are messing with my head."

"Miss Noe!"

"Huh? Now someone else is calling me?"

"Is there a Noe here? A friend of Nimi perhaps?"

"I'm Noe!" The girl immediately banged her fists against the bars as Mamori and Mirei walked through the halls. "What's going on up there?! Please tell me, I've been imprisoned for awhile now! None of the guards come down here to tell me anything!"

"Nimi is in trouble!" Mamori told her, just as a crash erupted through the air. "You have to come with us!"

"But I'm trapped here...with no way out!"

"That's okay! We'll handle it!" Mamori said with confidence before turning to her partner next to her. Her heart was thudding against her chest but she didn't hesitate any longer. "Mirei!"

"Hmm?" The blonde turned, allowing the red-head to pull her into a kiss of her own free will. Closing her eyes and accepting the kiss, a brilliant flash of light illuminated the cell walls until she stood proudly with a sword in hand.

"You two can do that as well?!" Noe exclaimed, backing up so she wouldn't get cut. With a yell Mirei sliced a large enough hole for Noe to step through. Giving her savior a nod of gratitude the two of them rushed outside, the sword flashed once and Mirei was soon carrying Mamori in her arms.

"Charlotte I order you to stop!" Kasumi shouted as she stood between us and the one who wanted nothing more than to whip us into submission. We managed to do some damage right before the commander made herself known. "This is unlike you and not how a Walter should act!"

"You're in my way, Miss Kasumi." Charlotte growled with annoyance and rushed forward to attack. "Step aside!"

"I said that's enough Charlotte!" Kasumi yelled however they were stopped by the Governor's Arm.

"Wow, and I thought we'd find ourselves enjoying a good fight for ourselves." I whined, standing off to the side when Kasumi appeared. "Very disappointed."

"Tackling everything with force is not smart at all, don't you think?" The Governor questioned as he sat not too far away, watching us with a calm expression. "There are ways to fix a problem without violence."

"Nimi!"

"Huh?" The giant turned to see Noe standing in the nearby building alongside Mirei and Mamori. Her face turned into one of happiness when she spotted her partner. "Noe!"

"Nimi, why?!"

"Why? I don't know, but I started getting bigger, and..."

"That's not what I'm asking!" Noe snapped as she continued to yell down, her fingers curling into trembling fists. "Why did you leave without telling me?! No matter what happens, we'll get through it together! We promised that when we came to this island. But you left me all alone..."

"That's...I'm sorry Noe!"

"Nimi, you idiot!"

"Noe..."

"Nimi, you're the only one who can catch my full-force pitch." Grinning, the girl stood tall on the railings despite the gasp that escaped Mamori's lips. "You're the only one who can catch my body and soul!" With a yell she jumped, putting her entire trust in Minimi.

"Noe!" Summoning her courage and wiping away her tears Minimi held her breasts with both hands. "I got you!"

"You know somehow I wanted to face plant into something soft like that." I commented before getting whacked in the head. "Ow! I'm just saying!"

"Take a look." Yeoul pointed as Minimi glowed in a pink light and shrunk down to regular human size. Noe was unhurt and the two girls were currently embracing each other. "They're back together again."

"Seems like everything is solved." The governor spoke as he approached, a smile on his face. "Charlotte, you decided too early that her abilities would not activate."

"Ha! What did I say? Her skills as a matchmaker is the lowest of low!" I laughed, getting a glare from Charlotte. "I'm just stating the truth!"

"I hate you, you damn monkey!"

"Quit calling me a monkey!"

"But what do you mean Governor?" Charlotte asked, promptly ignoring me. "How am I wrong?"

"Her ability is giant growth as you know." The red-haired governor explained. "Because she needs to grow bigger there seems to be a lag in the activation. Seeing everything she's done, I would say her abilities are high enough. Don't you agree?"

"O-Of course!" The pink haired agreed, looking off to the side with a disgruntle huff. The governor's word is finale so there's no way she could ever disobey him.

"Then we'll just let ourselves out! It's been real Walter guys, perhaps we'll play again!" I announced and jumped over the railing with Yeoul right beside me. "Mamori! Are you ready to go now?!"

"Yes Akane! We'll be right down!" She replied from where she stood on the balcony. I held up my thumb and walked with Yeoul back to the entrance where Mei Fong was waiting. She stayed true to her word and didn't step a food inside the castle. "I'm so glad everything worked out in the end for Nimi and Noe."

"Yes." Mirei smiled as well before noticing a sad expression on Mamori's face. Walking up so she stood beside her partner she placed a hand over hers. "Miss Mamori, don't feel sad. We'll see them again. But now it's time for us to go."

"Yes!" Mamori said happily, feeling her partner squeeze her hand. It sent warmth flowing through her body. "Let's go back to Miss Torino's place."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N** : Chapter 11 of _Resonance Drive_. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own OCs. Mermaid Valkyrie Drive belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert, I really appreciate it.

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

 _Night time..._

"Alright ladies, it's time to place your bets!" Mei Feng smiled, looking at three girls that knelt before her. The pink-hat cowgirl had dropped two dice in a cup and placed the cup face down upon a large stone table. Another girl sat in the back, watching over a cardboard box filled with money. "Ready or not, here it comes! Don't miss this opportunity of a lifetime!"

"Odd!" One girl called out, slamming her stack of money onto the counter. She turned to grin at the other two kneeling beside her. "I have a good feeling about this one!"

"Even!" Another stated, placing her stack alongside the other. She glared at the first one who was boasting earlier and stated, "Not this time, I'm sure I'll win this gamble!"

"I'll say Odd as well! I have a good feeling about this!" Out of the three girls, two of them had placed bets on the dice being an odd number. Mei Feng looked at them and grinned, lifting the cup ever so slightly off the table to keep them on the balls of their feet.

"Here we-"

"They're here!" Another person barged in, ruining the gambling night and began shouting at the top of her lungs. She had a fearful expression on her face as she looked at them with wide, craze eyes. "We don't have much time!"

"What'd you say?!" Mei Feng stood up angrily, brows furrowed in confusion. Before the girl could answer another person rushed up, knocking her out with the butt of her weapon. "What the-?! What's the meaning of this?!"

"Nobody move!" The blue-haired girl growled, pointing her weapons at them and ignored the unconscious girl slumped against the ground. She placed her index finger on the trigger, mere inches from pulling it. "Or I'll shoot!"

"Everyone, run!" The girl assigned to watch over the money in the back, shouted and switched off the lights, leaving the entire building in perpetual darkness. Stuffing a few stacks of money on her person she continued shouting, "Don't stand there like dumbasses! You'll be caught at this rate!"

"Quickly, this way!" Mei Feng took charge and shouted orders to keep her patrons calm. "Out the back exit!"

"The money...the money!" One of the gamblers shrieked, panicking at the thought. She didn't want to pass up the opportunity to get some dough in case she won the bet. "What about the money?! I need my reward!"

"Leave it! It's not good if you get caught!" Shooing everyone out while shouting encouragement not to follow by acting like she was being beaten up, Mei Feng waited for the lights to turn back on or if the thundering of footsteps disappeared into the night. She turned to face the other two that had arrived late to her game and smirked with happiness, "My acting wasn't that bad was it?"

"Not bad, at least they fell for it." The light brown girl praised, placing a hand on her head. "But ow, getting hit in the head with the butt of a gun definitely hurt a lot!"

"They're gone. Probably won't be coming back for awhile." The blue-haired girl spoke as she shouldered her weapon. She then glanced at the other girl and said, "Sorry but it had to be real otherwise they'd catch onto the acting."

"Mission success. They never suspected that we set them up." The three of them exploded into laughter before heading back to their secret hideout. Cooking up a meal and distributing the earnings among themselves the girls settled down for a well-earned feast.

"The quality of the grape juice is something I want to live without!"

"Such a pleasant mild flavor, this is so dreamy!"

"Speaking of dreamy...Futaba, your acting was on point." Mei Feng smiled, taking another swig of her own drink. Although she wanted to try out some good wine she knew she wouldn't like it. "I could use a few lessons now and then."

"Thank you very much." Futaba replied, pouring herself another glass and a half. "You're more than welcome to ask me any time."

"Someone could have done a little better with the 'No, not there!'" The blue-haired girl spoke, jabbing at Mei Feng's acting skills. She propped both legs up on the table with a plate of food in her lap, a fork in her hand. "Really now, even I knew it was fake!"

"Shut up. It's good to exaggerate a little in those situations." came the defensive statement. "You'd know if you bothered to take that role."

"Come one, you two. It worked well in the end, no need to fight over it." Futaba said as the others growled at each other playfully. "Let's just enjoy ourselves."

"She has a fair point." Mei Feng said and the two of them visibly lowered their guard, smiles plastered on their faces. "Walter's security guard, Hyouko Yundou."

"Futaba Kirii, castle management." Hyouko added as she looked at the brown-haired girl next to her.

"And Mei Feng, the mysterious broker." Futaba ended the chain and clapped her hands together. "We definitely work well together."

"That's no lie." Mei Feng grinned, holding up her cup in toast. Hyouko and Futaba followed suit, tapping their glasses to hers. "We truly are a great trio!"

"But we have a busy day tomorrow right?" Futaba questioned, tilting her head to the side in thought. "Should probably go and prepare before bed and all."

"Oh right, I have to do guard duty." Hyouko mused, drumming her fingers against her chin with a slight scowl. "Almost forgot about that."

"Of course, the life we live don't take breaks." Mei Feng proclaimed, setting her glass down and grinned at her cohorts. "But that's what makes it thrilling!"

* * *

 _The next morning..._

The three girls got up bright and early, true to her word Hyouko relieved the previous watcher from her duty and took her place. Once no one was in sight she used her hand to signal an 'All clear'. Futaba and Mei Feng quickly got out of hiding and sneaked into the warehouse to grab a little of everything. Piling it up into the cowgirl's truck they split up to do their duties. The truck's engine purred lightly as she pulled into town, eager to give the girls the goods like she was a modern day Robin Hood.

"Ho ho ho! Out-of-season Santa's here again!"

"Eeehh? Who's Santa?" I questioned, tilting my head to the side in confusion. We woke up to Mei Feng's voice and came downstairs to see what was going on. The other village girls all crowded around excitedly, eying the goods with happiness. "Have I met him before?"

"Santa's this jolly guy with a red suit and white beard who delivers presents to the good girls and boys." Mamori explained to me as she grabbed a can of peaches. "At least that's what I was taught from my parents."

"How does he know if we've been good or bad?" I asked as a can of peaches was placed in the palm of my hands. "I mean, does he have eyes in the back of his head or what?"

"He just knows."

"That's really creepy." I frowned before questioning whether we could eat the peaches or save them for later purposes. "I certainly wouldn't want someone like that knowing something I don't even know."

"Tsk tsk tsk~ Don't overexert your brain over something you can't prove!" Mei Feng chuckled before getting a hug from Torino. The smaller of the two wasn't prepared so she flailed against the hold. "H-Hey, what gives?"

"You're always such a blessing! It's so good to see you." She turned the younger girl around and pressed her bosom against Mei Feng's face. "Everything's okay though right? Those Walter people won't follow you or know that a portion of their resources have been taken?"

"Yup! This time I made sure of it!" Mei Feng proclaimed after taking in a rush of air. A huge smile spread across her face as she added, "My tracks won't be easy to follow!"

"It makes me at ease whenever you say that Mei Feng."

"Oh hey, it's one of those plush kitties I see on the television. Guru-Neko!" Mamori reached over to hold the said doll in hand. It looked like a cat, with buttons for eyes and a tie around its neck. Honestly it looked a little cute but I couldn't tell if I loved it or hate it. "I always wanted one of these, except bigger!"

"Huh? What are those things?" Mei Feng cocked a brow in wonder, planting her hands on her hip. "Guru-Neko...sounds like an alien."

"You've seriously never seen one of these before? Everyone thought he was the coolest thing ever back when I was little." The red-head shook it around playfully before looking at Mirei who wasn't interested in the slightest. "Hey, did you just think 'You're still small'?"

"She might not have, but I sure did~" I teased her after Mirei shook her head no.

"Akane! So mean..!" Mamori puffed out her cheeks in a pouting manner before looking at the stuff animal. "Guru-Neko was my favorite, I even owned pens and pencil cases."

"Woah, that's amazing! Your home must've been littered with these things!"

"What? You make it sound like your home doesn't." Mei Feng jabbed at me.

"I...don't really have a place I could technically call 'home' when I was younger." I admitted, holding one of the cats myself. "My childhood isn't as fresh as I would like it to be, so I couldn't tell you exactly what happened. Everything's covered in some kind of hazy mist."

"I wanted a bigger one but it's always been a raffle prize. Mom got mad when I spent all my allowance just to win him. I wish I could go back...I really miss those days."

Hmmm...so she still misses life back at home. Mirei frowned when she heard the sad tone in the red-head's voice. I...I have to figure out how to get her back.

"Huh...as a raffle prize huh..." Mei Feng spoke to herself, glancing at the smaller doll before an idea took form in her mind. Quickly hopping into her truck, she announced that she was driving out to run an errand and she took the other two along with her. When I asked why she needed to take them with her, she just told me that their assistance was required and that was it. After they left I couldn't help but walk out and plop down on the bench outside. Leaning back I stared up and released a huge sigh.

"Something on your mind?"

"Yeah..."

"Was it because of something Mei Feng said?" asked Yeoul as she slid in beside me, watching me with curiousness. "About your childhood I mean."

"...yeah..." I drew my legs up to my chest, crossing both arms over them before continuing. "I don't remember much, and when I fought enemies the memories come back in small bursts. But it doesn't have to be through a fight, sometimes I dream about things too."

"Dreams?"

"But even my dreams doesn't give me much to go off on. They're also only in short bursts, sometimes they're in images and sometimes I hear only voices. I can't particularly recall the names behind the voices, but once I do...hopefully it'll be a happy remembrance."

"How did you lose your memories?" Yeoul questioned, folding her hands over her lap. "How much do you remember?"

"It's still...so foggy. The more I try to think about it, the fuzzier it becomes. So I try to ignore it, hoping that it'll become clearer if I allowed it to flow at its own pace." I answered before looking at my companion. "What about you? What were you like back as a child?"

"Hmmm...Yeoul was just a normal girl, had a normal childhood you could say." She replied, watching the sky turn from a pink hue to a twilight. "Went to school and everything. Then...the government came, or some shady men came and took Yeoul away." The red-haired girl nodded her head as she thought about it. "Yeoul's been here, on this island for a long time. Never could escape. Never tried to escape."

"How come you never tried to leave?"

"The eyes of the watchers are everywhere. They oversee everything that is done on this island. Even if Yeoul tries, Yeoul will not get far. The only hope, is to find an opportunity to present itself."

"Do you...do you ever wish you could go home?" I asked her. "What about your parents? Don't you wonder if they miss you?"

"To be honest, Yeoul kind of forget what everyone looked like. That's what happens when you stay on this island for too long." She stood up and stretched her arms above her head. "Well, let's not think about it too hard. C'mon, it's probably dinner time."

"...and the other three hasn't come back yet...I wonder what's taking them so long." I mused, staring at the dark path out of town. Some part of me wanted to break into a run and find out what they were up to, and yet a part of me refuses. "Do you think they're in trouble?"

"Don't worry about it, they should be back soon enough." The red-head smiled, placing a hand on my head. She understood how worried I was, but all she needed was to calm me down with supportive words. "Besides, they can handle themselves."

"Yeah...you're right." I nodded my head with agreement and followed her back inside where Torino greeted us with open arms. After a soothing dinner, I found myself having a more peaceful dream that night.

* * *

 _The next morning..._

"Ehhh? You guys went to some beauty pageant without us!" I looked at the three girls with horror, the corners of my mouth twitching slightly. When Yeoul and I walked downstairs, Mirei and Mamori were sitting with dark rims underneath their eyes like they hadn't slept a week. Mei Fang looked a little upset, her lower lip sticking out in a pout. "And it looks like you finally got your wish, an even bigger stuffed kitty Mamori!"

"Yeoul feels sorry for Mirei." The sleepy red-head commented from where she stood by my side, crossing her arms over her chest. "Must be pretty bad being second to an inanimate object."

"As long as she's happy, I don't care..." Mirei replied, but her lower lip started to stick out like a pout.

"Wait...you know that explains that weird training you guys did. Holy cow that was some entertainment!" I clutched my stomach when a laughter bubbled up. Mental images popped into my head and I just laughed even harder.

"What was that?"

"Hahaha! I've never laughed so hard in my laugh!" Ducking underneath Mirei's arms when she attempted to grab me, I jumped over the furniture with the blonde on my tail. "Oh man you were such a klutz! Every 5 seconds you just...just fell flat on your face! Ahahaha!"

"Unfortunately I lost a couple stacks of money because of those lowlife, turncoats. Bowing to authority, I shouldn't have done business with them in the first place!" Mei Feng growled with annoyance, tipping her hat as she said so. "Futaba and Hyouko, I can't forgive them! Had to use my hard earn money and turn myself into an Arm!"

"Huh? How do you do that?" I questioned before I was swept off my feet and held against the blonde's chest. "Argh! Looks like you got me huh? Good job!"

"Hmmm." Mirei hummed as I laughed in response.

"Well I basically make the money the liberator, focusing all my energy into it and thus I become the Arm." Mei Feng replied as she explained how her power worked. "However, in the end the result of the pageant was called off though; no one actually won and no one got their money back. The governor even called for a thorough search because of foul play. But Mamori can have the prize because she helped me out."

"Thank you Mei Feng!" The red-haired girl replied, hugging her prize with both arms. A small blush appeared across her cheeks as she looked at the cute face. "This is the best gift ever! I'm so happy!"

"However," The cowgirl swung her arms around us, bringing us close together with a smirk. Her eyes were sparkling with mischievousness, no doubt hatching a plan. "you guys are gonna help me make some cash."

"Help you make some cash? How?" I asked her, wiggling out of Mirei's grip and took a deep breath to refill the air back into my lungs. "You got something in mind or what?"

"I'll think of something...maybe."

"How about a volleyball competition?" Yeoul offered, watching as every pair of eyes fell on her. She continued to speak, tucking a strand of hair behind an ear. "We can do it as partners and see who can accumulate the most points."

"Oooo! That's a great idea!" Mei Feng snapped her fingers with a smile before practically shoving us out the door. "C'mon ladies! Get your game on and start sweating!"

* * *

 **A/N** : Honestly I'm not really thrilled with this chapter, probably because I haven't kept up with this story lately so sorry for terrible quality. The next chapter should be a bit better.


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